Department for Transport

Motor Vehicles: Noise

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure law enforcement of vehicle noise limits.

Rachel Maclean: The Government takes the impact of traffic noise on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously. Vehicles are required to meet strict noise limits before being placed on the market and police have powers to act if they suspect an exhaust has been altered to increase noise. To support police efforts, the Department commissioned trials of a prototype acoustic camera to assess the potential of the technology for more efficient enforcement. Results are anticipated to be published in the spring following a re-phasing of the work due to pressures arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roads: Accidents

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on how many road traffic accidents there have been that have involved someone driving under the section 88 provision of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in each month since March 2020.

Rachel Maclean: The information requested is not held by the Department.

Motorways: Buses

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to (a) make an assessment and (b) implement changes in response to the consultation on proposed changes to the Highway Code where representations tackle the need to provide safe unloading capacity for bus and coach operators on smart motorways.

Rachel Maclean: Highways England is leading the update of The Highway Code to improve guidance for drivers on motorways and high-speed roads. The public consultation began on 1 March and will close on 29 March. Highways England will assess all consultation responses and determine whether they need to amend the current proposals to address the comments received.

Driving Tests: Coronavirus

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2021 to Question 159299, if his Department will provide funding to cover all or part of the re-sit fee for learners whose driving theory test certificate has expired during the covid-19 lockdown.

Rachel Maclean: There are no current plans to provide funding or waive the charge of a theory test for those whose theory test certificates have expired, given that candidates will have already received the service for which they paid. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) pays its contractor, Pearson, per theory test delivered. If candidates were exempted from having to pay for a retake then the DVSA and in turn other fee payers would incur these costs. This would be unfair to fee payers who would not benefit from the arrangement. In addition, applications for a re-test would need to be validated and systems amended to remove the requirement for payment in these cases. The DVSA’s focus should rightly be on developing solutions to address the backlog of practical driving tests that has arisen as a result of the pandemic.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether single family dwellings and homeowners will continue to be eligible for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme from April 2022 onwards.

Rachel Maclean: The existing EVHS support for owner occupied single unit housing will run for a further year until 31 March 2022, by which time we expect the market to have reached sufficient maturity to operate effectively without Government intervention. Thereafter the scheme will focus solely on rental and leasehold properties, where charging provision is currently more limited and potentially more challenging to secure. The objective of the reformed EVHS is to stimulate demand in the rental and leasehold sectors, and help ensure people living in such accommodation are also able to access EV charging provision at home.

Roads: Freight

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK road haulage industry of the restriction to a total of 90 days out of 180 for their drivers in EU countries compared to their previous unlimited access before the end of the transition period.

Rachel Maclean: The Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the UK and the EU delivers a good outcome for UK-based international hauliers. The vast majority of journeys to and from the EU will be able to continue without the need for any additional permits, and UK hauliers also retain rights to do work within and between EU Member States, again with no extra bureaucracy. UK hauliers will of course also have to ensure they comply with the immigration rules applied by EU Member States.

Motorways: Accidents

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral contribution of 11 March 2021, Official Report, column 995, how many deaths there have been on smart motorways to date.

Rachel Maclean: The latest information will be included in Highways England’s report on progress with the actions set out in Smart Motorway Safety Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan. This will be published shortly.

Roads: Finance

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding the National Roads Fund will provide for local authority road upgrades between 2020-21 and 2024-25.

Rachel Maclean: The Department’s forecast expenditure in 2020/21 on Major Road Network and Large Local Major schemes is £116m. £310m has been budgeted in 2021/22. The budgets for future years are subject to the next Spending Review.

Road Traffic Control

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many local authorities have submitted Local Pinch Point Fund expressions of interest; and for what projects.

Rachel Maclean: In November 2020, the Chancellor announced the Levelling Up fund that will support town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets. The prospectus and guidance for local authorities applying to the Fund was announced at Budget 2021. This Fund has superseded smaller funding streams such as the Local Pinch Point Fund. Local authorities have been encouraged to consider prioritising submitting their pinch point projects for the first round of the Fund.

Railways: Electrification

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many kilometres/miles of the railway network he plans to electrify in (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024 in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) the UK.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which parts of the rail network he plans to electrify in (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Further electrification of the rail network will play an important role in achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Department’s forthcoming Transport Decarbonisation Plan will set out the necessary scale and pace of rail decarbonisation between now and 2050, informed by the Network Rail-led Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy.Electrification schemes will be developed through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP). We intend to publish a RNEP Update, and will do so as soon as possible.

Driving Tests: Coronavirus

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will reassess his decision not to extend driving theory tests for people whose test has expired during the covid-19 lockdown.

Rachel Maclean: The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place for road safety reasons; to ensure that a candidate’s knowledge is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. It is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point that they drive unsupervised for the first time. Those with theory test certificates expiring may have taken their test in early 2019. Since then, their lessons and practice sessions will have been significantly curtailed during recent lockdowns and it is likely that their knowledge base will have diminished. Research suggests that this would be particularly harmful for hazard perception skills, a key factor in road safety. Ensuring new drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the training of new drivers, who are disproportionality represented in casualty statistics. Taking all this into consideration, the decision has been made not to extend theory test certificates and learners will need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.

Jet Zero Council

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Jet Zero Council has met since its establishment; and how many officials work in the Jet Zero Council secretariat.

Robert Courts: The plenary Jet Zero Council has met twice. The Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Delivery Group and its subgroups have met eight times and work to deliver zero-emission aircraft is led by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). The Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy operate a joint Secretariat for the Jet Zero Council, and the Knowledge Transfer Network provides the Secretariat for the SAF Delivery Group. We have recently appointed Emma Gilthorpe, Chief Operating Officer, at Heathrow Airport, to serve as the CEO of the Council. Emma will ensure the Council delivers at pace, bringing with her a breadth of knowledge and experience to assist the Council.

Clean Air Zones

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2021 to Question 163196 on Clean Air Zones, what assessment he has made of the effect of the period of time between collecting the clean air zone fee on road users and the payment of the £2 charge levied by his Department to access the central services unit for clean air zones on local authorities’ budgets.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2021 to Question 163196 on Clean Air Zones, what steps he has taken to estimate the time delay between local authorities collecting the clean air zone fee on road users and the payment of the £2 charge levied by his Department on access to the central services unit for clean air zones.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2021 to Question 163196 on Clean Air Zones, if his Department will review the £2 charge levied by his Department on access to the central services unit for clean air zones if evidence shows a delay between required payment to his Department and the collection of the fee to road users by local authorities.

Rachel Maclean: Motorists that are required to pay a Clean Air Zone charge must pay the charge no later than one week from the day of travel. Clean Air Zone charges collected by local authorities are available within 7 days of payment. Invoicing terms are subject to agreements between local authorities and the department but local authorities will be required to pay to use the CAZ Central Service no more frequently than every quarter. Invoices will cover use of the CAZ central services in the previous quarter and will be required to be paid approximately two months after end of the same quarter.

London Ambulance Service

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the ability of the London Ambulance Service to access sites affected by Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes.

Rachel Maclean: Implementation of traffic management schemes, including Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, is a matter for local authorities. The Department has made no such assessment. No ambulance trust has raised concerns with the Department about access or response times in such schemes. In addition, data obtained by Cycling UK shows that no such schemes had been implemented without the knowledge of the relevant ambulance trust and that no trust had identified delays to emergency response times resulting from schemes.

Electric Scooters: Pilot Schemes

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take in response to the effect of the covid-19 lockdown on the quantity of data gathered during e-scooter trials.

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what processes are in place to record instances of pavement riding and pavement parking during e-scooter trials.

Rachel Maclean: The Department recognises that COVID-19 lockdowns have reduced the number of journeys being taken across all modes of transport and in the e-scooter trials. However, data is being gathered from over 30 trial areas across England over the course of 12 months. We expect the quantity of data gathered during the e-scooter trials to be sufficient to inform future decisions on whether and - if so - how to legalise e-scooters in the UK.   DfT has data sharing agreements in place with e-scooter operators taking part in the trials. We are also working with our third-party research contractors Arup and NatCen Social Research to ensure the data gathered through the trials is robust enough to answer our planned research and policy questions. With regard to pavement riding, the Department is working closely with both e-scooter operators and local authorities on these issues. In addition to weekly meetings to monitor the progress of the trials, including rates of pavement riding, pavement parking and approaches to reducing them, we are currently finalising guidance for local authorities to encourage good parking behaviour. Moreover, surveys and interviews, with e-scooter users and members of the public living in e-scooter trial areas, will be conducted across a range of trial areas to track and understand instances of pavement riding and pavement parking. This will be carried out by our contractors Arup and NatCen Social Research.

Transport for the North: Finance

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the core budget of Transport for the North has been reduced from £10 million to £6 million for the financial year 2021-22 as stated in a letter from the Department for Transport to Transport for the North dated 4 January 2021.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether plans for a contactless ticketing scheme in the North of England have been cancelled as stated in a letter from the Department of Transport to Transport for the North, dated 4 January 2021.

Andrew Stephenson: Due to a forecast underspend and a significant build-up of reserves due to displaced activity in 2020/21, the core grant that Transport for the North (TfN) receives from the Department was set at £7 million for 2020/21 and £6 million for 2021/22. Furthermore, the Department has agreed to TfN charging £2.5 million of costs, previously from its core budget, to the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) programme for 2021/22. As I stated in the House in the adjournment debate on this subject of 17 March, “Taking into account all the funding streams available to Transport for the North, its budget has not been reduced by 40%.” In the 2015 spending review, Transport for the North was allocated up to £150 million to support its integrated and smart travel programme. It has utilised only £24 million in the past five years to enable the roll-out of smart ticketing throughout the north. Additionally, it incurred development, business-case and other project costs of around £10 million but was unable to produce a business case for its ambitious multi-modal projects that was acceptable to all transport operators in the north. The multi-year funding for Transport for the North’s integrated and smart travel programme was always due to expire at the end of this financial year. We are considering how best to deliver more effectively the roll-out of smart ticketing to improve passenger services throughout the region. The launch of the National Bus Strategy on 15 March 2021 outlined our ambition to see seamless, integrated ticketing between operators and to extend this across all types of transport and all regions of the country, including the North. We will work with transport technology providers, app developers, bus operators and LTAs to ensure that any technology to support this is developed strategically, and money is not wasted on different technology solutions for different places. As rail ticketing and fares systems are updated we will also consider opportunities for facilitating integrated electronic ticketing with buses.

Rail Review

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the findings and recommendations of the William's Rail Review.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The government is committed to bringing forward vital sector-wide reforms and commissioned Keith Williams to carry out the first root and branch review of the rail industry in a generation.The Williams Review was in its final stages at the outbreak of Covid-19.The reforms are as important as ever and the government intends on publishing a White Paper with details of its plans for rail reform when the course of the pandemic becomes clearer.

Electric Scooters: Sales

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many electric scooters have been sold in the UK.

Rachel Maclean: The Department does not hold information on the sale of electric scooters.

Motorways: Safety

Sir Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the safety of smart motorways; how many fatal accidents have occurred on smart motorways since their introduction; and what guidance has been issued to motorists who break down on smart motorways and who are unable to reach a refuge area.

Rachel Maclean: The Smart Motorway Safety Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan, published by the Department in March 2020, provides a table in Annex D, page 76, showing the number of reported fatal casualties between 2015 and 2018. This is reproduced here:Road ClassNumber of Reported Fatal Casualties2015201620172018Conventional Motorway¹81728367Controlled Motorway¹6238Dynamic Hard Shoulder¹5211All Lane Running¹01410All SRN ‘A’ Roads²132154145165Sources: 1 - STATS19, Highways England Statistics on motorway fatal casualties in England from 2015-18. 2 - STATS19, DfT Statistics on fatal casualties on the Strategic Road Network in England from 2015-18  The Smart Motorway Safety Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan also took account of the fact that different types of roads carry different quantities of traffic. It found that the fatal casualty rate (per hundred million vehicle miles) over the period 2015-2018 was lower on controlled (0.07), Dynamic Hard Shoulder (0.07) and All Lane Running (0.11) motorways than conventional motorways (0.16). The latest strategic safety evidence, which includes data for 2019, will be published as part of the one-year stocktake progress update report which will be published shortly. Highways England recently launched a national public information campaign to help drivers know what to do in a breakdown on motorways. Its main message informs drivers that if you breakdown, ‘go left’. Guidance is also contained in the Highway Code. Improvements to this guidance is currently out to public consultation (closing date for responses 29 March 2021). https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/he/highway-code/.

Aviation: Disability

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of retention of jobs in the aviation sector relating to special assistance support for passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.

Robert Courts: The Government recognises that the aviation sector is home to many highly skilled and highly trained staff. We recognise that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will result in greater uncertainty over future demand (at least in the short/medium term) and that this has a knock-on effect on the operational requirements of airlines. However, airports are legally obliged to provide assistance, free of charge, for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility to ensure equal access to aviation.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Seasonal Workers

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment has has made of the potential merits of entering into reciprocal arrangements with individual EU member states to (a) waive or (b) reduce the costs of short-stay visa and work permits for temporary seasonal tourism workers.

Paul Scully: The end of freedom of movement between the UK and the EU will inevitably have some consequences for cross-border business travel, and we are engaging regularly with businesses to help them understand the new requirements for travel to the EU. We respect the right of individual Member States to determine their own immigration policies. Here in the UK, we have adopted a global immigration system that treats EU and non-EU citizens equally. Tourism personnel are included in the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), removing the requirement for a work permit for up to 90 in 180 days. In addition, travel agencies, tour operators’ services and tourist guides are included in the scope of TCA commitments for contractual service suppliers and independent (self-employed) professionals. Commitments in the TCA provide certainty and clarity for those who travel to another country temporarily to do business. The TCA guarantees market access to key economic sectors, and ease some burdens on business travellers, such as: removing the need for work permits for some short-term trips and reducing the number of economic needs tests a country could impose to block access to exporters. They also ensure that the UK and EU Member States have a minimum standard for how business travellers and service providers should be treated when working abroad through non-discrimination clauses. We have published guidance on GOV.UK to help those intending to travel to the EU, EEA and Switzerland for work or other business purposes. The Government will continue to enhance this guidance and to engage with our embassies to better understand the requirements in Member States, on behalf of UK businesses.

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation mandating property management companies to carry out improvements on buildings ahead of the proposed upgrade of private rented sector homes to Energy Performance Certificate Band C by 2030.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: BEIS consulted on improving the minimum energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes in England and Wales to EPC Band C. Under the Government’s recommended option, landlords would be required to reach EPC Band C for new tenancies from 1 April 2025 and all tenancies by 1 April 2028. Landlords can choose to work with a property management company to meet the regulations where appropriate, although the requirement for compliance rests with the landlord. We are currently analysing consultation responses and will publish a Government Response in due course.

Aerospace Technology Institute: Finance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding has been allocated (a) in total and (b) for each funding stream to the Aerospace Technology Institute in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2022, (v) 2023, (vi) 2024, (vii) 2025.

Paul Scully: The Government and industry have made a joint commitment to invest £3.9 billion in aerospace research and development (R&D) from 2013 to 2026. The Government’s share of the £1.95 billion is managed through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme. An annual breakdown of funding allocated (a) in total, and (b) by each funding stream is set out in the table below. Budget allocations have not been made beyond 2021 so are assumed.£mAllocated BudgetsPlanned AllocationsYear19/2020/2121/2222/2323/2424/2525/26Strategic Programme138.1147130143.2145.6149.2150Small Business1.90.51.71.91.80.80NATEP014.84.92.600FlyZero01.513.50000Total140150150150150150150

Aerospace Technology Institute

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many expressions of interest there were to the Aerospace Technology Institute’s Strategic Programme (a) in total and (b) in each quarter of 2020; how many of those expressions of interest each quarter were invited to submit a full application; how many of those full applications were successful; and how much each successful application was awarded.

Paul Scully: The table below sets out the breakdown Expressions of Interest (EoIs) submitted the Aerospace Technology Institute Strategic Programme by quarter in 2020. Expressions of Interest to the ATI Strategic Programme in 20202020PROCEEDREJECTTotalQ1 112233Q2 75259Q3 232952Q4 372663Grand Total78129207 Projects that are successful at EOI have options about when to submit a full stage application. They will be automatically invited to the next available competition but can choose to defer. This means it is not simple to track which EOIs submitted in 2020 came forward to a full stage application in the same year and we cannot provide that breakdown here. In total 35 full stage applications were recommended for funding in 2020. Not all these projects have completed the due diligence and grant award process and so we are unable to provide a project-level breakdown of grant awarded. Details of live projects can be found on the Innovate UK transparency data page: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/innovate-uk-funded-projects. Some of the 35 successful projects will relate to EoIs received in the previous year. Not all successful EoIs received in 2020 will result in a full application in that year.

Aerospace Technology Institute

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many expressions of interest were submitted to the Aerospace Technology Institute’s Research and Development Funding for Smaller Businesses fund; how applicants will be assessed; and when will this funding be announced.

Paul Scully: A total of 32 expressions of interest were submitted. The full stage applications are assessed in parallel by the ATI, Innovate UK and BEIS based on technical, market and economic criteria. Applicants will be notified of the results of the full stage competition on 14 May 2021, with public announcements expected once the grant offer process is completed.

Aerospace Technology Institute

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many applications there were for the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme autumn 2020 funding round; and how many and which projects have been allocated funding.

Paul Scully: There were 34 applications and 11 projects were recommended for funding. The 11 projects are all in the contracting phase, going through financial and viability checks. Until they receive their grant offer letters we cannot announce which projects have been allocated funding.

Local Growth Deals

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2021 to Question 149245 on Local Growth Deals, on what basis the Government has calculated that £15 billion of public and private sector investment has been leveraged through Local Growth Fund investment.

Paul Scully: Local Enterprise Partnerships provide self-reported Local Growth Fund monitoring returns on a quarterly basis. Each monitoring return is verified and approved by their Accountable Body’s Section 151 Officer or equivalent, prior to submission to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. These returns include self-reported details of private and public sector investment that has been leveraged because of the Local Growth Fund investment.

Small Businesses: Government Assistance

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support micro-enterprises in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England during the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub offers one-to-one advice and ongoing support to businesses with ambitions to grow, and is open to businesses of any size or sector. Since its launch in 2014, the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub has successfully helped thousands of businesses across the region to access funding, tap into supply chains, increase production, and reach their full potential, and has supported the creation of over 5,000 jobs. Through the Local Growth Fund and European funds, LEPs in the West Midlands have supported projects aimed at supporting SME incubation and growth. In order to protect the livelihoods of those hardest hit, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be extended to September and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will continue with a fourth and a fifth grant. My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that a further 600,000 people, many of whom became self-employed in 2019-20, may now be able to claim direct cash grants under SEISS. Additional support is also available through Covid-19 Business Grants. Businesses that are required by law to close can access grants of up to the equivalent of £4,500 per 6-week period via the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed). This support is available until 31st March 2021. Businesses that were required to close at the beginning of national restrictions on 5th Jan will also be eligible for a one-off payment of up to £9,000 to help them through the difficult Spring period, via the Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment. The Chancellor announced in the Budget that from 1st April, one-off Restart Grants of up to £6,000 for non-essential retail, and up £18,000 for hospitality, leisure, personal care and accommodation businesses, will be available to support them to reopen as Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed. The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) continues to enable Local Authorities to put in place discretionary business support. Local Authorities are free to provide support that suits their local area best, including to support those businesses not required to close but which have had their trade severely affected by the restrictions. The Chancellor has announced an additional £425m will be made available to the ARG that more than £2bn has been made available to Local Authorities since November 2020.

Weddings: Coronavirus

Karen Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether dedicated wedding venues are permitted to hold covid-secure weddings in Stage 2 of the covid-19 roadmap.

Paul Scully: At Step 2, which will be no earlier than 12 April, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted for up to 15 people in COVID-19 Secure venues that are permitted to open or where a broader exemption applies. Receptions can take place with up to 15 people in the form of a sit-down meal and in any COVID-19 Secure outdoor venue that is permitted to open. Such receptions must not take place in people’s private gardens or public outdoor spaces.

Employment: Young People

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the factors that have contributed to young workers being disproportionately affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: Throughout this crisis, the Government has sought to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods whilst supporting businesses and public services across the UK. We recognise that unfortunately it has not been possible to protect every business and every job, and our thoughts are with those who have been impacted by this virus. While the pandemic has had a significant impact across the whole labour market, certain groups have been more affected than others. Young people have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic and unemployment can have longstanding implications for their future jobs and wages. The plans announced at Budget 2021 seek to address this and will help promote opportunity for the young. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is specifically designed to protect jobs, and it has been used by 1.3m employers to support 11.2m jobs. This includes supporting young people, with preliminary data showing 855,200 16-24-year-olds were furloughed at the end of January. VAT reductions and extending business rates relief for businesses in the hospitality sector will continue to protect both the UK economy and the livelihoods of people across the country. In particular, this will benefit, BAME employees, under-25s and women, who make up a higher percentage of employees in hospitality relative to other sectors. The Budget 2021 also announced an extension of the traineeships programme until the end of the next academic year, benefiting 16–24-year-olds. We are also extending incentives for apprentices, and our £2 billion Kickstart scheme is already creating thousands of new jobs for 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit at risk of long-term unemployment.

Restart Grant Scheme

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the announcement in Budget 2021 on restart grants, when he plans to provide full details of that grant to local authorities.

Paul Scully: Guidance to Local Authorities on the Restart Grants was published on 17th March, and can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/970686/Restart_Grant_-_LA_guidance_170321.pdf.

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Save our Salons campaign group on support for businesses in the hairdressing and beauty industry.

Paul Scully: I regularly engage with businesses in the personal care sector to listen to their concerns and understand the impact of the pandemic, including members of the Save our Salons campaign. In line with the roadmap, hair and beauty businesses will be able to reopen in England no earlier than 12th April, alongside non-essential retail. They will benefit from the package of support announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Budget, including restart grants of up to £18,000.

Hydroelectric Power: Storage

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2021 to Question 161808, whether discussions for the next Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan considered the merits of a minimum electricity floor price for (a) pumped storage hydro and (b) other large scale storage schemes.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We will outline our next steps for addressing barriers to the deployment of large scale and long duration storage including pumped hydro storage in our new Smart Systems Plan, to be published in spring this year in partnership with Ofgem.

Hydroelectric Power: Storage

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2021 to Question 161808, what  discussions his Department has had with the developers of (a) pumped hydro storage and (b) other long duration storage technologies to assess their respective merits; what potential barriers to deployment of those technologies were identified in those discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: In discussions with the Department, developers of large scale and longer duration storage technologies have raised the issues of upfront capital investment costs and firm revenue streams as barriers to deployment. The next Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan will be published in Spring this year and will set out our next steps for addressing barriers to large scale, longer duration storage.

Electricity: Storage

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Electricity Act 1989 to define electricity storage as a distinct subset of generation.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: In our 2017 Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan and in the 2020 Energy White Paper, the Government committed to amend the Electricity Act 1989 to define electricity storage as a distinct subset of generation, when parliamentary time allows.

Boilers: Biofuels

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many outstanding decision notices there are for applications under the renewable heat incentive scheme for the installation of a biomass boiler for (a) non-domestic properties and (b) domestic applications.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: As of 15th March 2021 at 18:00:(a) The non-domestic renewable heat incentive has 228 full biomass applications awaiting a decision.(b) The domestic renewable heat incentive has 95 biomass applications in a review state, of which 19 are first time applications and the remainder are amendments due to a change of ownership.

Events Industry: Coronavirus

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made on the creation of the Events Research Programme, as set out in the Government’s COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021 roadmap published on 22nd February; what the timeframe is for the publication for the programme’s conclusions; what factors are being assessed for the reopening of that sector; if he will announce the role of the business events industry within the programme; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully: The Events Research Programme aims to examine the risk of transmission of COVID-19 from attendance at events and explore ways to enable people to attend a range of events safely. We anticipate that the research pilots will take place in April, with a view to reporting findings to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at the end of May, to feed into wider discussions around Step 4 of the lockdown restrictions. Departments are currently working up plans and further details regarding the Events Research Programme will be published in due course.

Electric Cables: Seas and Oceans

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made about the estimated cost of the Eastern Link undersea electricity link between Scotland and England.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Government supports Ofgem and network companies in delivering the critical national infrastructure required to achieve our Net Zero target, including supporting 40GW of offshore wind generation by 2030. The progression of the Eastern Link undersea electricity link between Scotland and the North of England is the responsibility of National Grid Electricity Transmission, Scottish Power and SSEN Transmission, as the developing transmission owners, under the regulatory supervision of Ofgem. Current estimates are that the Eastern Link could cost over £3bn. Ofgem plans to consult soon on the development of the project so far. Its final decision on whether the project should be funded is expected to be reached in 2022, following a full consideration of the benefits and costs.

Post Office: Profits

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the levels of profitability of the Post Office’s Crown office network during (a) 2019-20 and (b) 2018-19.

Paul Scully: While the Post Office is publicly owned, it is a commercial business that operates independently of the Government. BEIS has not made an assessment on the profitability of the 114 remaining Directly Managed Branches (DMBs) in the Post Office's network of 11,500 branches as this is a matter for Post Office Ltd.

Post Office: Finance

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how the £70m capital investment awarded to the Post Office for 2020-2021 was agreed to be spent.

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if any of the £177m capital investment awarded to the Post Office for 2021-22 will be spent on franchising any Crown post office branches.

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what amount of the £70m capital investment awarded to the Post Office for 2020-2021 will be spent on franchising any Crown post office branches.

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if any Crown post office branches will be franchised under (i) the Post Office’s multi-year Group Strategic Plan; and (ii) the Post Office’s most recent 12 month Group Business Plan.

Paul Scully: £210 million in capital investment was allocated to Post Office Ltd between 2018 and 2021. Post Office Ltd received £168 million in 2018/2019 and £42 million in 2019/2020. No capital investment was provided to Post Office Ltd in 2020/2021. This investment funding was designed to modernise the branch network and improve the systems and processes in place so that the Post Office could continue its journey towards commercial sustainability. In the most recent Spending Review for 2021/2022, the Government announced further Post Office investment funding of £227 million. This reflects the Government’s commitment to the role that post offices play in our communities. This funding consists of £50 million subsidy to safeguard services in the uncommercial parts of the network, and a further £177 million which will allow Post Office Ltd to invest for the future and to ensure the Post Office remains a vital force on our high streets. This investment includes supporting Post Office Ltd's future strategy for its network, including the remaining Directly Managed Branches. The management of the Post Office network, including decisions on Directly Managed Branches, is an operational matter for the Company. Changes to the branch network are subject to local consultation processes. It is important to note that over 99% of the Post Office network is already successfully franchised. This is the preferred business model for the Post Office as it delivers significant cost savings without impacting service provision for local communities. Franchising enables longer opening hours, increased convenience, and greater accessibility for communities.

Uber: Conditions of Employment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 24 February 2021, Official report, col 939, which stakeholders ACAS conducted its fact-finding exercise with.

Paul Scully: Acas engaged with a range of groups, including employer bodies and trade unions, as well as professional bodies with advisory contact with employers, such as employment lawyers, accountants, and payroll services.  Officials are currently considering these findings, and the Government will respond in due course.

Attorney General

Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences: Prosecutions

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for (a) domestic violence, (b) rape and (c) sexual assault; and what plans she has to ensure that victims of those crimes (i) receive appropriate support to help them navigate the criminal justice system and (ii) have faith in that system.

Lucy Frazer: Tackling sexual violence and domestic abuse is a priority for this Government and the CPS is working hard to deliver justice and protect victims of these abhorrent crimes. In July 2020, the CPS published its own rape strategy – ‘RASSO 2025’. This five-year strategy outlines a programme of work specifically to help reduce the disparity between reports and criminal justice outcomes. In addition, the CPS and police published a Joint National Action Plan for rape in January of this year to improve joint handling of rape investigations and prosecutions. Also in January this year, the CPS published an ambitious 12-month domestic abuse programme to help narrow the disparity between reporting and criminal justice outcomes and to proactively address domestic abuse offending. The CPS has continued to prioritise high harms crimes including cases of sexual violence and domestic abuse throughout the pandemic and as restrictions are eased via the introduction of an Interim Charging Protocol in April 2020.

Department of Health and Social Care

HIV Infection: Screening

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve the HIV testing rates in patients presenting with HIV indicator conditions in England.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HIV Infection: Screening

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges on updating guidance on HIV indicator testing in line with NICE and BHIVA guidelines.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Members: Correspondence

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2020 to Question 122736, when he plans to respond to the joint letter from the British Dental Association, Mencap, the Faculty of Dental Surgery, the Faculty of General Dental Practice, the British Society for Paediatric Dentistry, the British Society for Disability and Oral Health, the British Society for Gerodentology, the British Association of Oral Surgeons and the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry on waiting times for dental treatment under general anaesthetic which was sent to him in September 2020.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2021 to Question 109345 on Coronavirus: Disease Control, what the cost to the public purse was of the in-app notifications provided by Instagram and Facebook to the users of their platforms.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2021 to Question 167165 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, how that data on prisoner vaccination prior to release is held.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Databases

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of awarding contracts to both BAE Systems and Palantir Technology for the creation of covid-19 databases for the (a) Joint Biosecurity Centre and (b) the NHS; and whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of creating one such database for both the Joint Biosecurity Centre and the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Travel

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of the level of covid-19 infection arriving in the UK from (a) Pakistan and (b) other countries from people who have travelled abroad; and whether there are any reports of new variants of that infection from Pakistan.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Travel

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria is used to place countries on the UK travel ban red list.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pharmacy: Rother Valley

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2020 to Question 127034 on Pharmacy: Rother Valley, on what basis the Government has determined that £370 million has been made in advance payments to support pharmacies; what assessment he has made of how those advanced payments have been spent; when he estimates those advanced payments will be repaid; what assessment he has made of the effect on community pharmacies of repaying those advanced payments; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pharmacy

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the cashflows of community pharmacies; what estimate he has made if the number of community pharmacies that (a) have closed in each of the last three financial years and (b) will close in the financial year 2021-22; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Coventry

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people experiencing long covid symptoms in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry; and what steps his Department is taking to support those people experiencing long covid.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Pay

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the one per cent pay rise for NHS staff announced in Budget 2021 on the (a) economy and (b) retention of nurses.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Bereavement Counselling: Charities

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2021 to Question 156496, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of ending financial support for bereavement charities on the ability of such charities to support their service users; and if he will take steps to introduce a new financial support package for bereavement charities in the next financial year.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department meets regularly with bereavement support organisations to assess what is needed at this difficult time. The Government is committed to ongoing engagement with the bereavement support sector and will continue to work closely with organisations over the coming months to ensure that grieving individuals and families receive the support they need.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his oral response to the hon member for Christchurch on 2 March 2021, Official Report, col 140, whether the (a) MHRA or (b) Public Health England is responsible for publishing the number and proportion of adverse events; and when that information will be put in the public domain.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) holds the data for adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. We have published details of all suspected reactions reported in association with available COVID-19 vaccines, along with an assessment of the data on a regular basis, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-reactions

Maternity Services: Finance

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that adequate funding is available to neonatal units to allow them to provide effective psychological support to parents when their baby is admitted into neonatal care.

Ms Nadine Dorries: ‘Implementing the Recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review’ sets out an action for Local Maternity Systems and Neonatal Operational Delivery Networks (NODN) to work together to profile the provision in local providers by reviewing the extent to which providers are integrating families into care, which should also include information on and access to emotional wellbeing and psychological support and the provision of resources and accommodation. NODN implementation plans have been submitted to NHS England and NHS Improvement and reviewed. The Long Term Plan committed to enhance the experience of families during neonatal critical care. From 2021/22, care coordinators will work with families within each of the clinical neonatal networks across England to support families to become more involved in the care of their baby.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of demand for NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England and others to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term mental health impacts of COVID-19 and plan for how to support the public’s mental health and wellbeing throughout the coming weeks and months.The most recent NHS Digital Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics publication shows that there were 309,961 people in contact with children and young people’s mental health services in December 2020 compared to 235,706 in December 2019.Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics can be found at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics.

Postnatal Care: Mental Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government has made on national standards to provide psychological support to parents of babies in neonatal care, set out in his Department's Toolkit for high-quality neonatal services and British Association of Perinatal Medicine service standards for hospitals providing neonatal care.

Ms Nadine Dorries: ‘Implementing the Recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review’ sets out an action for Local Maternity Systems (LMS) and Neonatal Operational Delivery Networks (NODN) to work together to profile the provision in local providers by reviewing the extent to which providers are integrating families into care, which should also include information on and access to emotional wellbeing and psychological support and the provision of resources and accommodation. NHS England and NHS Improvement asked LMS and NODNs to develop action plans to address any gaps.The NHS Long Term Plan committed to enhance the experience of families with a child in neonatal critical care. From 2021/22, care coordinators will work with families within each of the clinical neonatal networks to support families to become more involved in the care of their baby.

Mental Illness: Coronavirus

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on (a) the rates of mental ill-health, (b) triggering mental health conditions and (b) exacerbating existing mental health conditions.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England (PHE) and others to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term mental health impacts of COVID-19 and plan for how to support the public’s mental health and wellbeing throughout the coming weeks and months. PHE continues to publish and regularly updates the “COVID-19: mental health and wellbeing surveillance” report, which presents close to real-time surveillance on the mental health and wellbeing of the population in England during the pandemic. It can be found at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-mental-health-and-wellbeing-surveillance-report.

Serco: Coronavirus

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the attendees at negotiations for the contracts awarded to Serco to help deliver the Government’s covid-19 response.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total value of contracts awarded to Serco in 2020 was to help the Government’s response to covid-19.

Helen Whately: The Department has two contracts with Serco in response to COVID-19. The first is for the provision of facilities management services to support the operation of testing sites around the United Kingdom. The contract was let in March 2020 for an initial term of six months to September for the sum of £57 million. This has now been extended to 30 April 2021 with an allocated budget of £208 million for an expanded service.The second contract is for call handling services to support the test and trace initiative. The total contract has a maximum value of £410 million to cover the initial period and any and all extension periods undertaken up to a period of 12 months. The contract has recently been extended for its full term to the end of May 2021.Officials working on the Test and Trace programme from several Government departments negotiated these contracts.

Surgery: Medical Equipment

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2021 to Question 167296, whether the collection of information on surgical implants and devices from healthcare providers on pelvic floor, or mesh and related procedures, will include all historical data available.

Ms Nadine Dorries: NHS Digital will receive historical data from healthcare providers on pelvic floor surgical procedures, including the use of mesh or its alternatives. Data collected will be in accordance with the data specification which has been designed in consultation with stakeholders, including patient representatives and is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-documents/directions-and-data-provision-notices/data-provision-notices-dpns/surgical-devices-and-implants

Community Discharge Fund

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 157099, which local authorities have been awarded funds from the Community Discharge Fund to date; and how much money each such authority received.

Helen Whately: For the financial year 2020-21, Community Discharge Grant allocations were made to individual Transforming Care Partnerships in England. Each Transforming Care Partnership nominated a lead local authority to receive funds on their behalf.A table showing the lead local authorities that have received the Community Discharge Grant to date and the amount each lead local authority was awarded on behalf of their wider Transforming Care Partnership is attached.Table (docx, 23.8KB)

Nurses: Recruitment

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many nurses have been recruited to the NHS since August 2019.

Helen Whately: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.The number of nurses and health visitors joining hospitals and CCGs between August 2019 and November 2020 was 50,904. This is based on headcount.

Hospitals: Discharges

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will extend funding for implementation of the Discharge to Assess model beyond the end of March 2021 to provide funding for the financial year 2021-22; what assessment he has made of the effect of that funding so allocated to date on releasing bed capacity in hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: On 18 March 2021, we announced £594 million to continue the hospital discharge programme from April to September 2021. This will provide staff with the resources needed to enable patients to leave hospital as quickly and as safely as possible, with the right community or at-home support. This will free up thousands of extra beds and staff time to help the National Health Service recover services.Since March 2020 we have made over £1.88 billion available via the NHS to support enhanced discharge processes. In that time, the NHS’s discharge programme has freed up over 6,000 beds and 11,000 NHS staff.

Coronavirus: Care Homes

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Amnesty International's October 2020 report entitled, As if Expendable, whether the Government plans to take steps in response to the finding of that report that the Government adopted policies during the covid-19 outbreak that violated the human rights of older residents of care homes in England.

Helen Whately: The Government has been clear that there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of COVID-19. This will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time.

Joint Biosecurity Centre

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Joint Biosecurity Centre holds data on the (a) names, (b) contact details, (c) gender, (d) ethnicity, (e) occupation and employment and (f) NHS test and trace records of individual covid-19 patients.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what safeguards are in place to protect the security of the data held by the Joint Biosecurity Centre; and whether covid-19 patients will be (a) informed about their details being held on such a database and (b) able to submit a subject access request for that data.

Helen Whately: The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) holds and processes personal data to provide evidence-based, objective analysis, assessment and advice to inform local and national decision-making in response to COVID-19 outbreaks. This includes helping to inform action on testing, contact tracing and local outbreak management. The insight and analysis supports decision-makers at a local and national level to take effective action to break the chains of transmission and to protect the public.The JBC stores and processes all data securely, for example in secure premises and on secure IT systems. The JBC uses appropriate security measures to protect any information held in our records and has written security procedures and policies. All data subject rights under the General Data Protection Regulations and the United Kingdom Data Protection Act 2018 are upheld by the JBC.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the study published on 11 March 2021 by Kings College London and the Crick Institute on vaccine efficacy among people with cancer.

Nadhim Zahawi: Early findings from the King’s College London and the Francis Crick Institute study, which seeks to measure the immune response generated by the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at three and five weeks post vaccination, indicated a lower antibody response in people with certain types of cancer.The findings of the study, which has not yet been published or peer-reviewed, should be used cautiously. They are indicative and do not provide suitable data to infer directly the level of clinical protection.The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Government on vaccine use and prioritisation, regularly reviews data and evidence on vaccine efficacy and effectiveness.

Coronavirus: Screening

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to track the number of (a) voided and (b) lost covid-19 tests.

Helen Whately: The latest data for void/unknown results for tests conducted from 28 May 2020 to 17 February 2021 is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-test-and-trace-england-statistics-11-february-to-17-february-2021

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's recent investigation into a complaint against Lincolnshire County Council, what assessment he has made of whether local authorities' fixed charges for short-term residential care are in line with statutory guidance.

Helen Whately: In determining fixed charges for short-term residential care, a local authority must follow the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) 2014 Regulation (the Regulations) and have regard to the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance.It is the role of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, to look at individual complaints about local authority failure to follow policies, including those on whether fixed charges for short-term residential care are in line with statutory guidance.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on the progress of the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine to people awaiting determination of their asylum, visa and immigration applications.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on the progress of the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine to UK residents with No Recourse to Public Funds.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on the progress of the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine to undocumented migrants.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department and Public Health England have engaged with the Home Office throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including in relation to the vaccination programme.Anyone living in the United Kingdom, including refugees and asylum seekers, can receive a COVID-19 vaccine free of charge in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s on prioritisation. Because there is no charge for the vaccine for people living in the UK, no proof of residence or immigration status is needed.National Health Service regional teams, working with various appropriate local systems, will reach out to unregistered people to ensure that they are offered the vaccine. A condition of No Recourse of Public Funds does not have a bearing on a person’s access to healthcare or the COVID-19 vaccine.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will improve the time taken for local public health departments to receive data on (a) people who have tested positive for covid-19 and (b) their contacts for the purpose of contact tracing.

Helen Whately: NHS Test and Trace is working to reduce the time taken to contact cases and their close contacts and to share data on cases with local authorities where necessary. The details of contacts are not currently shared with local authorities, as responsibility for communicating with contacts is undertaken at a national level.

Care Homes

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on increasing housing-with-care provision.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of current trends in the levels of demand for housing-with-care provision.

Helen Whately: Housing-with-care has a vital role in enabling older people to live independently, with the necessary care and support available if required. Both the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government provide capital funding subsidy to incentivise their supply. In the context of an ageing population, both Departments are committed to working closely together, and across government, to refine our understanding of the evidence base around specialist housing, adult social care and health. Both Departments are also committed to further improve the diversity of housing options available to older people, including housing-with-care, and are engaging closely both with the sector and a range of other stakeholders on this issue.

Coronavirus: Screening

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority issued an exceptional use authorisation for the use of lateral flow covid-19 testing on a daily basis at (a) Jaguar Land Rover and (b) other Government workplace pilots.

Helen Whately: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority issued an exceptional use authorisation on 23 December 2020.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support research on the efficacy of covid-19 vaccines for people with low immunity.

Nadhim Zahawi: Public Health England are leading the surveillance strategy for the COVID-19 vaccination programme, which will continue to monitor how effective each vaccine is at protecting against a range of outcomes including infection, symptomatic disease, hospitalisations, mortality and onwards transmission. The strategy includes further research on how effectiveness varies by subgroup, including different clinical risk groups. Evidence on these outcomes will be generated through routine data sources, including routine testing data and general practitioner electronic health records, as well as through enhanced surveillance and building upon established research studies in specific populations.

Coronavirus: Screening

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential role of serology testing in the Government's long term plan to tackle covid-19.

Helen Whately: Serology testing is a key part of the Government’s testing programme. Specifically, antibody testing is routinely used in research and surveillance to improve our understanding of how the immune system responds to the virus that causes COVID-19. Whilst antibody testing is the core component of serology testing in response to COVID-19, other types of serology testing are also supported by the Government as part of research studies including analysing the role of immune cells not linked to antibodies.Serology testing is vital for vaccine effectiveness monitoring, which is already taking place at scale through research studies. Public Health England will continue to gather the insights of these studies including through the use of antibody testing and integrate them into analysis to ensure up-to-date assessments of vaccine effectiveness as deployment continues.

Coronavirus: Screening

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using serology testing to establish the length of protection provided by covid-19 vaccines.

Nadhim Zahawi: Public Health England (PHE) is evaluating the effectiveness and length of protection afforded by COVID-19 vaccines in terms of disease, hospitalisations and deaths as set out in the COVID-19 vaccine surveillance strategy. Although serological testing is supporting the evaluation of COVID-19 vaccines, currently without a correlate of protection, serological testing by itself cannot provide estimates of the length of protection from COVID-19 vaccines. PHE’s SIREN study, a prospective cohort study of almost 40,000 healthcare workers from 132 National Health Service sites, collects regular serum samples on participants following COVID-19 vaccination, to monitor antibody responses to vaccination which has the potential to establish a serological correlate of protection.

Coronavirus: Screening

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to (a) class as key workers and (b) introduce regular testing for all staff working in education settings during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: Education and childcare workers, including support and teaching staff, social workers and specialist education professionals have been classed as keyworkers.Lateral flow testing is available to staff of primary and secondary schools, nurseries and colleges and students of secondary schools and colleges. From 8 March, twice-weekly lateral flow testing has also been available to the households, childcare and support bubbles of staff and students. Students and staff should continue to access testing via their school. Tests for households, support and childcare bubbles can be ordered and collected from local sites or administered through workplace testing programs.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Miriam Cates: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what coordination is taking place between the UK and Israel on covid-19 vaccine deployment.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government recognises that a global pandemic requires global solutions. It is essential that the Department is regularly in discussions with other countries, including Israel, on a wide range of COVID-19 issues to share learnings and collaborate internationally on the vaccination programme. Feedback from these discussions, where relevant, is used to improve the United Kingdom vaccination programme.

Learning Disability: Nurses

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people living in England hold a qualification as a learning disability nurse.

Helen Whately: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent professional regulator for nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom and is responsible for nurse and midwifery registration. According to the NMC’s latest registration data reports, as at 30 September 2020, there were 13,704 nurses resident in England registered in the field of practice ‘learning disability nurses’.Although someone is registered with a learning disability nurse qualification, this does not necessarily mean they are actively practicing in that field at any given point in time. Nurses can also be registered in two or more fields of practice.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to review the Public Health England cervical screening programme guidance, particularly in reference to HIV testing for women presenting with cervical dysplasia.

Jo Churchill: There are no plans at present to review the cervical screening programme guidance to include human immunodeficiency virus testing in in colposcopy clinics, where further examination of the cervix is carried out.Proposals to change an existing screening programme should be submitted to the United Kingdom National Screening Committee through its modification process, proposals are accepted throughout the year.More information can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-evidence-review-process/uk-nsc-evidence-review-process

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Babies

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to prevent cases of respiratory syncytial virus in infants.

Jo Churchill: The Government has measures in place to prevent cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the most vulnerable infants. Babies born prematurely are particularly vulnerable to RSV.Each winter the National Health Service treats the most vulnerable infants with Palivizumab. Palivizumab provides passive immunity to RSV, similar to the protection offered by a vaccination. During the last RSV season, October 2020-Feburary 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement produced a rapid policy statement that extended the criteria to include a larger population of at-risk infants with the aim of decreasing hospitalisation and intensive care admission rates in such infants.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress the Government has made on funding (a) research and (b) trials on long-term vaccine efficacy for the immunocompromised after (a) first and (b) second dose.

Nadhim Zahawi: As part of the National Core Studies Immunity Programme, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has provided initial funding of £1.8 million towards the OCTAVE study looking at COVID-19 vaccine responses in groups of immune suppressed individuals. UKRI is also supporting the Data and Connectivity National Core Studies programme with an investment of up to £8.2 million to date to enable the evaluation of vaccine uptake and efficacy across all populations.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Babies

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to address the burden of infant respiratory syncytial virus on the (a) NHS and (b) health of the population.

Jo Churchill: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) usually causes a mild self-limiting respiratory infection in adults and children, but it can be severe in infants who are at increased risk of acute lower respiratory tract infection. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends that at-risk infants for whom RSV infection is likely to cause serious illness or death and all children less than 24 months of age with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome are given the Synagis injection. Public Health England (PHE) monitors levels of RSV activity in England and Wales and publishes information throughout the season. NHS England is working with PHE as part of its preparing and planning for the 2021 RSV season. This includes ensuring access to Synagis out of season in the event of a spring/summer outbreak and ensuring that clinicians have access to the most up to date and evidence-based guidance to support patient treatment and safe discharge from hospital.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 26 August 2020 on autism screening, reference ZA53526.

Edward Argar: We are working to provide all Members and external correspondents with accurate answers to their correspondence, as well as supporting the Government’s response to the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.The hon. Member’s letter will be answered as soon as possible.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Children

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate has been made of the prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus among infants (a) under five years old, (b) under two years old and (c) in their first year of life.

Jo Churchill: This data is not available in the format requested.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Babies

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of respiratory syncytial virus among infants on (a) GP appointments, (b) A&E attendances and (c) hospital admissions in the latest period for which data is available.

Jo Churchill: From June 2020 to March 2021, the rate of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been much lower than expected. This is thought to be a result of measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic response, such as social distancing, lock down and masks. The Government extended the use of palivizumab immunisation in October 2020 with an aim to decrease hospitalisation and intensive care admission rates in at risk infants.The rates of RSV in England are monitored by the Respiratory DataMart system, and this can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reportsIn the past month, the proportion of positive specimens of RSV have been tracked by the Respiratory DataMart at 0.0%.

Surgery: Medical Equipment

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2020 to Question 97696, what the planned timescale is for the full rollout of the Medical Device Information System; and what steps he is taking to ensure that timescale is met.

Jo Churchill: Formal public consultation on the legal framework for the Medical Device Information System (MDIS) will begin later this year with the aim of laying the regulations in 2022.The Government continues to closely monitor the implementation of the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021. This includes assessing the timeframe and resources required to deliver the roll out of the MDIS, which is being led by NHS Digital.

Coronavirus: Screening

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of providing access to covid-19 tests to early years practitioners and nursery workers in reducing covid-19 cases in those settings.

Helen Whately: No assessment has yet been made.

Coronavirus: Screening

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Public Health England collects the number of (a) lost or (b) missing covid-19 tests.

Helen Whately: Public Health England do not collect this data.

Test and Trace Support Payment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the threshold set for eligibility to receive payments under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme on the number of people who have tested positive for covid-19 continuing to physically attend their workplace.

Helen Whately: No such assessment has been made.

NHS: Occupational health

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the NHS spend was on occupational health services and occupational health and wellbeing support to NHS staff (a) from 2015 to 2019 and (b) in 2020.

Helen Whately: Information on the amount of money invested in occupational health across the National Health Service is not collected centrally.

Care Homes: Older People

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to improve the quality of elderly care in care homes across England.

Helen Whately: The Government is committed to the sustainable improvement of adult social care, including care for the elderly and will bring forward proposals later this year on plans for reform.We published a White Paper on 11 February 2021 which sets out proposals to introduce, through the Health and Care Bill, a new duty for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to review and assess local authorities’ delivery of their adult social care duties and publish their assessment. This is alongside powers for the Secretary of State to intervene and provide support where, following review by the CQC, it is considered that a local authority is failing to meet their duties.These changes will support improved quality of care and access, with improved oversight and transparency providing insight into how good commissioning works, allowing for best practice to be shared and helping to address inefficiencies and poor practice.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people who had covid-19 did not require hospitalisation on (a) 5 January and (b) the most recent date for which figures are available.

Helen Whately: The data is not available in the format requested.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that blind and partially sighted people receive notice of covid-19 vaccinations appropriately.

Nadhim Zahawi: Public Health England has published braille, and large print versions of COVID-19 vaccination information. The national booking letters are sent in size 16 point font as standard as defined by the RNIB. As well as providing an option to book on the National Health Service website, the national booking letters also provide 119 as an option. Booking information will be available in braille, audio, larger print and easy read soon. This is in addition to what general practitioners and Primary Care Networks are doing locally.

NHS: Employment

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing greater transparency requirements into the employment evaluation of staff of the central NHS.

Helen Whately: We have interpreted the hon. Member’s this question to refer to pay and employment criteria in the Hospital and Community Health Services sector of the National Health Service, for non-medical staff employed on the national collectively agreed Agenda for Change contract.The Job Evaluation Scheme (JES) which underpins pay in the Agenda for Change contract is a system that has been developed through collaboration between NHS leaders, NHS trade unions, and independent job evaluation experts. The JES is a structured method of comparing job demands and seeks to ensure staff receive equal pay for work of equal value.We are not aware of any intention to assess greater transparency in this process. The job evaluation handbook is published by NHS Employers at the following link:https://www.nhsemployers.org/job-evaluation-handbook.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken with the Scottish Government to ensure that (a) English people living, studying, and working in Scotland can access their covid-19 vaccine through NHS Scotland and (b) Scottish people living, studying, and working in England can access their covid-19 vaccine through NHS England.

Nadhim Zahawi: Anyone living in the UK can receive the vaccine free of charge in line with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) prioritisation groups. All constituent four nations agreed to follow the advice of the JCVI for phase one deployment, and each administration is responsible for vaccine deployment across their respective geographies and for offering a vaccine to people resident there.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people who had been vaccinated for at least three weeks have been admitted to hospital in England with covid-19 since 31 January 2021.

Nadhim Zahawi: This information is not available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to tackle low vaccine uptake amongst homeless people and rough sleepers.

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that homeless people are able to receive a covid-19 vaccine as quickly as possible.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recognises that many people who are homeless or sleeping rough are likely to have underlying health conditions which would place them in priority group six. These are likely to be under-diagnosed or not properly reflected in general practitioner (GP) records. The JCVI advised they should be offered the vaccine without the need for a National Health Service number or GP registration.There is work being undertaken to update our operational guidance on reaching rough sleepers and homeless people based on this recent JCVI advice. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government are working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement to support outreach and further work is being done to explore the availability of effective on-street models which could be used to support this work. Local teams are now prioritising all homeless people for vaccination alongside priority group six.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to introduce vaccine passports for people who have been vaccinated against covid-19.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government announced on 22 February that it will review whether COVID-19 status certification could play a role in reopening the economy, reducing restrictions on social contact and improving safety. This will include assessing to what extent certification would be effective in reducing risk, and the potential uses to enable access to settings or a relaxation of COVID-19 secure mitigations. The Government will also consider the ethical, equalities, privacy, legal and operational aspects of this approach and what limits, if any, should be placed on organisations using certification. It will draw on external advice to develop recommendations that take into account any social and economic impacts, and implications for disproportionately impacted groups and individuals’ privacy and security.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what system is used to record who has had a covid-19 vaccine; and whether local primary care networks have full access to that system.

Nadhim Zahawi: Local vaccination services are recording vaccinations using the Outcomes4Health system, provided by Pinnacle. Vaccination records are then shared with the National Immunisation Management Service (NIMS), the national register for COVID-19 vaccinations. Primary Care Networks have full access to NIMS. Notifications are then also shared with the general practices patients are registered with.

Coronavirus: Hospitals

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse has been of setting up and maintaining each of the seven Nightingale hospitals.

Edward Argar: Estimates previously provided by NHS England and NHS Improvement to the Department indicated that the set-up cost for the Nightingale hospitals would be approximately £220 million. The following table breaks down the original estimate by each individual Nightingale hospital:SiteSet up costs £’000London57,411Birmingham66,408Manchester23,471Harrogate27,314Bristol14,209Exeter11,163Sunderland20,102Total220,078 NHS England and NHS Improvement are in the process of reviewing all spending incurred for each individual site. The forecast for total costs including set-up, running costs, stand-by costs and costs of decommissioning across all sites will reach around £532 million across financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Coronavirus and Influenza: Hospital Beds

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of hospital beds that will be needed for (a) covid and (b) influenza patients in January 2022; and what steps he is taking to ensure that there is capacity in respect of (i) beds and (ii) staffing in the NHS during that period.

Edward Argar: There remains significant uncertainty on scenarios for future hospital bed occupancy levels for COVID-19 and flu. Planning guidance for the National Health Service for the financial year 2021-2022 will be published shortly by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Members: Correspondence

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey of 4 December 2020 and 14 January 2021.

Edward Argar: We replied to the hon. Member’s letter on 26 January 2021.

NHS: Waiting Lists

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS referral-to-treatment waiting list, how many patients in (a) England, (b) each STP-ICS area in England and (c) each acute trust in England had been waiting more than one year in the latest collected data in each of the following time bandings (i) 52-56 Weeks, (ii) 56-60 Weeks, (iii) 60-64 Weeks, (iv) 64-68 Weeks, (v) 68-72 Weeks, (vi) 72-76 Weeks, (vii) 76-80 Weeks, (viii) 80-84 Weeks, (ix) 84-88 Weeks, (x) 88-92 Weeks, (xi) 92-96 Weeks, (xii) 96-100 Weeks, (xiii) 100-104 Weeks and (xiv) 104+ Weeks.

Edward Argar: This information is not held in the format requested.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 134477 tabled on 7 January 2021 by the Hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Edward Argar: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 134477 of 18 March.

Homelessness: Coronavirus

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of homeless people who have tested positive for covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: This information is not held in the format requested.

Mental Health Services

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what specialist treatments are available for mental health patients; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of those services.

Ms Nadine Dorries: There are a wide variety of evidence-based treatments available for people with mental health conditions, according to the clinically assessed need of individual patients.  Specialist treatments are offered in a range of mental health settings, including services commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups and national specialised mental health services commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement. These services are monitored to ensure quality of care and assess the adequacy of availability.

Incontinence: Clothing

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase the affordability of incontinence items.

Edward Argar: Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for the commissioning of continence services.Individuals who have bladder or bowel continence problems should seek help from their general practitioner and a referral to specialist bladder and bowel continence services for assessment and treatment. These specialist services aim to help patients regain continence, improve quality of life and to reduce reliance on products. Incontinence appliances such as catheters and stoma items are provided by prescription, although absorbent incontinence products are not. For those people who require incontinence products, eligibility and numbers of products which are provided free of charge are decisions for individual trusts.Individuals who apply for Personal Independent Payments (PIPs) or Attendance Allowance should list bladder and bowel continence problems as this will be taken into consideration when allocating payments to help with the cost of products.

Coronavirus: Weddings

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to allow marriages to resume, under all circumstances, when the covid-19 local alert level tier system is reintroduced in England.

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason marriages can only take place under exceptional circumstances during 2021 covid-19 national lockdown.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Marriages should only take place in exceptional circumstances - for example, where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover or is to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery.We understand these rules are difficult but reducing social contact is paramount to protecting the National Health Service and saving lives. The Government keeps its restrictions under continual review and will make changes if the data and science support it.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to counter misinformation about covid-19 vaccines to ensure that all communities have access to accurate information.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department is working closely with Public Health England and NHS England and NHS Improvement to provide authoritative information to the public to make an informed choice about getting vaccinated. We are also working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to help social media platforms identify and take action against incorrect claims about the virus in line with their terms and conditions. This includes anti-vaccination narratives that could endanger people’s health.

Medical Records

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to allow the police access to the medical records of members of the public.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Our position remains that practitioners must make decisions about the disclosure of confidential patient information to the police on a case-by-case basis and only when they are confident that the public interest served by disclosure outweighs the public interest served by protecting the confidentiality of the individual and the public interest served by providing a confidential service to the wider public.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of vaccine passports.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government announced on 22 February that it will review whether COVID-19 status certification could play a role in reopening the economy, reducing restrictions on social contact and improving safety. This will include assessing to what extent certification would be effective in reducing risk and the potential uses to enable access to settings or a relaxation of COVID-19 secure mitigations. The Government will also consider the ethical, equalities, privacy, legal and operational aspects of this approach and what limits, if any, should be placed on organisations using certification. It will draw on external advice to develop recommendations that take into account any social and economic impacts, and implications for disproportionately impacted groups and individuals’ privacy and security. We are also working closely with partner countries on a range of issues relating to COVID-19 and international travel and we are committed to ensuring an approach that is internationally recognised.

Oxygen: Blood Tests

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2021 to Question 141981 on Oxygen: Blood Tests, what (a) training has been provided and (b) guidance has been issued to NHS staff to help them notice pulse oximeter reading issues relating to people with darker skin colours.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Pulse oximetry is a well-established healthcare diagnostic technology widely used to manage patient care by providing a non‐invasive approximation of blood oxygen saturation. In view of the many factors that can affect the accuracy of pulse oximeter readings, including the potential impact of skin colour, clinicians are trained to place particular emphasis on relative changes to previous readings for any one individual.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to tackle vaccine hesitancy amongst homeless people.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 11 March, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that local teams should consider a universal offer to adults experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping alongside those in priority group six. They advised that they should be offered the vaccine without the need for a National Health Service number or general practitioner registration.Work is being undertaken to update our operational guidance on reaching rough sleepers and homeless people based on the JCVI’s most recent advice. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement to support outreach services and further work is being done to explore the availability of effective on-street models which could be used to support this work.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that people who are digitally excluded are included in the covid-19 vaccination programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: There should be no case where a patient would only be offered an invitation via digital means, or where the only way to book would be online. Invitations for the vaccines are currently being issued in a number of ways. The National Booking Service is primarily sending invitation letters to people’s registered addresses. These letters, sent in size 16 font as standard as defined by RNIB as large print, give the option of booking online, or by the free 119 phone line. This phone line includes BSL and text relay services. Others can make an appointment on behalf of individuals who are not able to make it themselves. Follow up phone calls and letters are made to those who have been sent an initial letter but not responded.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to tackle covid-19 vaccine hesitancy amongst care home staff in England.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department has built a library of material to support trusted conversations and provide information to employers that is accessible and relevant to social care workers, including those who work in care homes. These resources focus on tackling hesitancy, misinformation, and include content relevant to black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and cover specific topics such as fertility and vaccine ingredients.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage vaccine take up among health and social care staff working in all settings.

Nadhim Zahawi: We have opened the National Booking Service to eligible frontline health or social care workers which provides an additional option for them to access a vaccination appointment at a time and place that is convenient for them. Furthermore, a programme of work is underway at the national and local level to support and encourage vaccine uptake among staff in health and social care working in all settings. The National Health Service has produced guidance to support NHS organisations in vaccinating their workforce including engagement guides, checklists, and frequently asked questions documents.

HIV Infection: Coronavirus

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how data on HIV is being taken into account in the new QCOVID population risk assessment tool following concerns raised by people living with HIV who have been asked to shield for the first time.

Jo Churchill: The COVID-19 population risk assessment, based on QCovid, uses a range of factors including age, sex registered at birth, ethnicity, postcode as an indicator of deprivation and body mass index alongside medical conditions to calculate a risk assessment score for each individual. Owing to small numbers, HIV has been included within the model in a broader group of conditions which includes other immunosuppressive disorders, such as sickle cell and immunodeficiency, to offer a representative level of potential risk. This is in keeping with emerging research evidence that suggests people living with HIV may be at increased risk from COVID-19. If an individual living with HIV has received a letter advising them to shield, this will not be based solely on their HIV status, but on a wide range of factors. Any person living with HIV who is concerned can seek further advice from their general practitioner or specialist clinician.

Dental Services: Contracts

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the contractual requirements for NHS primary dental care from 1 April 2021.

Jo Churchill: The Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Office of the Chief Dental Officer on contractual arrangements for 2021/22 onwards. An announcement will be made shortly.

Coronavirus: Steroid Drugs

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of regular steroid use on the susceptibility of users to covid-19.

Jo Churchill: We are not aware of a general assessment across all conditions of regular steroid use on the susceptibility of users to COVID-19. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published COVID-19 rapid guidelines using the latest available evidence for specific conditions where there is an increased risk of COVID-19. Where relevant, these guidelines include recommendations related to the continuation of treatment of corticosteroids. These guidelines are kept under review.

Coronavirus: Steroid Drugs

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what safeguards are in place to ensure that the (a)  use and (b) withdrawal of steroids for patients with covid-19 is managed safely and effectively.

Jo Churchill: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care, including guidance for use and withdrawal of steroids. NICE’s guideline NG159 recommendation 4.7 sets out the use of dexamethasone (a corticosteroid) in its COVID-19 rapid guideline, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng159/chapter/4-Clinical-decision-making-and-managementThe clinical guidance recommending corticosteroids followed the positive findings of the United Kingdom-based RECOVERY trial in June. As a result, dexamethasone or hydrocortisone are offered to patients with severe or critical COVID-19 which is in line with the World Health Organization’s guidance.Steroids are now a standard of care in the National Health Service for hospitalised COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen therapy, non-invasive or mechanical ventilatory support. The recommended dose of dexamethasone is not sufficiently high, nor the course sufficiently long to require tapering of the dose or long-term monitoring. Some centres are using high dose steroids in selected ventilated patients. In these cases, local protocols are followed with specialist advice if necessary. The use and withdrawal of corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment for the most severely ill patients is guided by evidence. We continue to undertake robust clinical trials to build an evidence base of what is and is not effective to treat COVID-19.

Protective Clothing: Coronavirus

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2020 to Question 118115 and with reference to the High Court ruling of 18 February 2021 that the Secretary of State acted unlawfully by failing to comply with the Transparency Policy, if he will publish the names of the companies awarded contracts after being introduced to a high-priority lane by (a) Ministers, (b) hon. Members or Peers and (c) officials, including the private office of the Permanent Secretary of his Department; setting out (i) the relationship between each company and the minister, member, peer or official responsible for introducing them to the priority lane; (ii) material, financial or fiduciary interests between those parties; and (iii) whether any such interest between those parties was declared or recorded; and (iv) how those interests were assessed.

Jo Churchill: We do not intend to publish the list of suppliers referred through the high priority lane as there may be associated commercial implications. The Department has to consider the position of suppliers which were referred to the high priority channel in terms of the recognition that disclosure of their names may damage the supplier’s reputation, affecting their competitive position, their revenue and ability to obtain future contracts. The High Court ruling of 19 February 2021 concerned the Department’s compliance with publishing the Contract Award Notices for all contracts awarded to suppliers of personal protective equipment. The ruling found that Contract Award Notices were not all published within in 30 days as per the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or 20 days as per the Cabinet Office guidance. The Department takes its transparency requirements very seriously and as such has now published most of the Contract Award Notices and the contracts themselves.

Smoking

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to establish a Smokefree 2030 Fund in Budget 2021, funded by the tobacco industry, to help the UK meet its smoking reduction targets; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: We are unable to comment on announcements for Budget 2021. However, the Government is committed to addressing the harms from tobacco and will set out its ambition for England to be smoke-free by 2030 in a new Tobacco Control Plan to be published this summer.

Travel: Quarantine

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to offer financial support to travellers to cover the costs of the 14-day hotel quarantine period.

Jo Churchill: For those facing significant financial hardship as a result of the charge, there will be an opportunity to apply for a deferred repayment plan when booking. This is available for individuals who already receive income-related benefits and they will be required to pay back the charge in 12 monthly instalments.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have to lead on an engagement exercise on the Innovative Medicines Fund.

Jo Churchill: Proposals for the Innovative Medicines Fund are in development and we expect NHS England and NHS Improvement and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to lead an engagement exercise early this year. The exercise will involve the pharmaceutical industry, the National Health Service, its associated bodies and patient groups.

Travel: Quarantine

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts his Department has signed with security firms for the quarantine program for people arriving from a country on the UK’s travel ban list.

Jo Churchill: Three security providers have been secured through an existing Crown Commercial Service Framework.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of extent of the backlog in referrals for pulmonary rehabilitation services; and what his Department's timescale is for tackling that backlog.

Jo Churchill: As pulmonary rehabilitation data is not routinely collected, NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with the newly established Respiratory Clinical Networks to understand the backlog that services face and to develop plans for how they can support systems to restore services.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of alcohol to the NHS.

Jo Churchill: As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we are supporting acute hospitals to establish or improve specialist Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs) in hospitals with highest rates of alcohol harm. It is estimated that, if implemented in the 25% of hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol-dependence-related admissions, fully optimised ACTs could prevent 50,000 admissions over five years.

Department of Health and Social Care: Neil Ferguson

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with Professor Neil Ferguson in each of the last 12 months.

Jo Churchill: Departmental Ministers have been present at two meetings where Professor Ferguson was invited to attend.Departmental officials have been present at over 60 meetings where Professor Ferguson also attended. In addition, there are a range of standing weekly meetings where Professor Ferguson is a member or participant and Departmental officials are also present or provide the secretariat function.

Travel: Quarantine

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions the Government has had with representatives of the (a) airline and (b) travel sectors on replacing the covid-19 hotel quarantine rules with GPS tracking technology.

Jo Churchill: We have engaged extensively with the airline and travel sectors in implementing the managed quarantine scheme and continue to do so. We are looking at the role that technology can play in ensuring travellers are quarantining and supporting them through their quarantine period.

Skin Cancer: Health Services

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will engage with the rare disease and blood cancer communities to ensure that rare conditions such as mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, two subtypes of skin lymphoma, are considered when drafting the UK Rare Disease Framework national action plans.

Jo Churchill: The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK Rare Disease Framework is a success and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders before publishing action plans that outline how the priorities and underlying themes in the Framework will be addressed.

Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma: Diagnosis

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve early diagnosis of mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, two subtypes of Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and (b) ensure adults with that condition are not misdiagnosed.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of treatment provisions for people diagnosed with advanced-stage of mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, two subtypes of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government has taken to enable equitable access to treatment and care for people living with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, two subtypes of Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Jo Churchill: Cancer Alliances have pathways in place to support diagnosis of T-cell lymphomas as part of their skin cancer pathways. No recent assessment on Sézary syndrome or Mycosis Fungoides has been made. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is due to publish guidance on the use of mogamulizumab for previously treated mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome at the end of March 2021.

Tobacco

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to bring forward proposals in the Green Paper, Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, in the upcoming Tobacco Control Plan; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Prevention Green Paper set out an ambition to go ‘smoke-free’ in England by 2030. We have committed to publishing a new Tobacco Control Plan this summer to outline our Smokefree 2030 plans.

General Practitioners: Coronavirus

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2021 to Question 147020, what discussions he has had with (a) medical defence organisations and (b) other professional bodies to make an assessment of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on GPs’ mental health as a result of increased workload; and what steps he plans to take to improve GP retention rates after the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The Department regularly meets with stakeholders to discuss issues relating to the general practice workforce. To support wellbeing during the pandemic, NHS England and NHS Improvement, in collaboration with the Royal College of General Practitioners, has launched the Looking After You Too and Looking After Your Team coaching support services. These services provide access to mental health services to all National Health Service primary care workers and aim to encourage psychological wellbeing and resilience in teams.In addition, the NHS Practitioner Health service is available for doctors and dentists across England who have mental health concerns, in particular where these might affect their work. In early March 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement held a listening and collaboration event on Supporting Staff Wellbeing in Primary Care with staff from a wide range of roles across primary care, representatives of Local Medical Committees and the National Association of Primary Care.

Protective Clothing: Imports

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a list of countries the UK has imported personal protection equipment from each month in the last six months.

Jo Churchill: We have continued to receive personal protective equipment (PPE) ordered earlier in the pandemic to provide a reliable and sustainable stockpile. The following table shows the available data on inbound supply from September 2020 to February 2021.September 2020China, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United States of America, VietnamOctober 2020Belgium, Cambodia, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, VietnamNovember 2020Cambodia, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, USA, VietnamDecember 2020Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, USA, VietnamJanuary 2021Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, USA, VietnamFebruary 2021China, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Vietnam Alongside the central programme, some providers or wholesalers may have continued to procure stock from other countries.

Travel: Quarantine

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of its ability to reduce the number of people coming into the UK from the current figure of 20,000 to the current hotel capacity which will be used for quarantining people.

Jo Churchill: It is illegal to travel abroad without a legally permitted reason to do so. Police officers will be deployed at airports and ports to support the enforcement of these regulations, including checking the reason for passengers’ journeys.We are keeping demand for managed quarantine facilities under close review and are ready to put in place arrangements for additional capacity should it be required.

Shipping: Quarantine

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions her Department has held with stakeholders on whether seafarers and other maritime key workers will be exempt from hotel quarantine measures relating to the covid-19 pandemic.

Jo Churchill: We have undertaken a range of engagement with the maritime industry at both official and Ministerial level and continue to discuss the operation of the scheme with the sector. Exemptions to the requirement to book and enter managed quarantine if a person has been in a ‘red list’ country at any point in the 10 days prior to their arrival into England are kept under regular review.

Cancer: Health Services

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to allocate a proportion of the Spending Review 2020 commitments to tackle (a) diagnostic and (b) treatment backlogs in cancer services.

Jo Churchill: The Spending Review 2020 confirmed an additional £3 billion for the National Health Service on top of the long-term settlement, to support the recovery from the impact of COVID-19. Cancer patients will continue to be prioritised with the NHS and will benefit from the approximately £1 billion to begin tackling the elective backlog and approximately £1.5 billion to help ease existing pressures caused by COVID-19. This package will be supported by £325 million capital funding for diagnostics, to replace over two thirds of imaging equipment over 10 years old.

Anaemia: Diagnosis and Health Services

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made on the creation of guidelines for the diagnosis and maintenance of pernicious anaemia.

Jo Churchill: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is in the early stages of developing a guideline on pernicious anaemia and expects to publish its final guidance in March 2023.

Travel: Quarantine

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Covid-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry final report published in Australia in December 2020 on (a) the role of outsourced security contracts to private companies, (b) the training of (i) hotel, (ii) cleaning and (iii) transport staff and (c) the merits of fast and efficient contact tracing to effectively contain transmission of covid-19; and if she will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: In developing our proposals, we have looked at a range of other countries who run similar schemes.

Dental Services: Contracts

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a dental contract which misses NHS England’s activity targets of 45 per cent due to exceptional circumstances, such as shielding or self-isolation, as a result of the covid-19 outbreak will (a) receive 100 per cent of their payment for the fourth quarter of 2021 and (b) not be required to make up that activity in the financial year 2021-22.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any dental contract which misses NHS England’s activity targets of 45 per cent as a result of shielding, self isolation or other covid-19 related exceptional circumstances will still receive 100 per cent of their payment for the fourth quarter of the 2020-21 financial year and that they will not be required to make up that activity in the 2021-22 financial year.

Jo Churchill: Contractual arrangements for quarter four have been introduced by NHS England and NHS Improvement requiring dental practices to deliver 45% of contracted units of dental activity from 1 January to 31 March 2021 to be deemed to have delivered the full contractual volume.National Health Service commissioners have the discretion to make exceptions, for instance in cases where a dental practice has been impacted by staff being required to self-isolate and the reinstatement of shielding during the national lockdown. Cases will be considered on an individual basis and could include a decision by the commissioner to waive its rights to recover any portion of the financial clawback. The ability for contractors to make up the shortfall of activity preceding or following the exceptional circumstances would have been considered and ruled out prior to approving the exceptional circumstances. Commissioners will follow the Policy Book for Primary Dental Services when making these decisions.

Dental Services: Fees and Charges

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans for an above-inflation increase in dental charges.

Jo Churchill: No decision has been made on changes to dental patient charges for the 2021/22 financial year.

Cancer: Redbridge

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current referral to treatment time is for cancer patients in the London Borough of Redbridge.

Jo Churchill: Latest official data available for Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group shows in December 2020, 73.0% of patients received their first treatment for cancer following an urgent referral within 62 days.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he has put in place for clinically vulnerable key workers who have not received the covid-19 vaccine to work from home until they have been vaccinated.

Jo Churchill: Currently, everyone is advised to work from home where possible. Where this is not possible, including if an individual is a key worker, then they can continue to attend the workplace. All employers are required to take steps to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, and employers should be able to explain to employees the measures they have put in place to keep them safe at work. As they face a moderate risk from COVID-19, it is very important that those considered as clinically vulnerable follow social distancing advice to reduce their chances of catching the virus.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has in place for an HPV vaccine catch up programme.

Jo Churchill: Catch-up vaccination clinics for human papillomavirus vaccinations have begun through community venues and closed school estates and all providers are now working with NHS England commissioners, with clinical advice from Public Health England, to deliver all missed school aged vaccinations as soon as possible and no later than August 2021. This includes digitalising consent processes in order to streamline the service.

Travel: Quarantine

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts his Department has signed with catering firms for the quarantine program for people arriving from a country on the UK’s travel ban list.

Jo Churchill: We have procured a central travel agency, Corporate Travel Management, to oversee the individual contracts with hospitality companies.

Fampridine: Prescriptions

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to authorise GPs to issue prescriptions for Fampridine for multiple sclerosis patients at the standard NHS prescription charge.

Jo Churchill: It is for the prescribing clinician to decide on the most appropriate course of treatment for their patient. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) current recommendation is that fampridine is not a cost-effective treatment for lack of mobility in people with multiple sclerosis. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s commissioning policy concluded in 2016 that there is not enough evidence to make the treatment available at that time. However, NICE is currently updating its guideline on multiple sclerosis, including to take account of new evidence on the effectiveness of fampridine for treating mobility in people with multiple sclerosis. NICE currently expects to publish final updated guidance in July 2022.

PHE Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has for the new public health science campus at Harlow to play a leading role in the UK's preparedness against future pandemics.

Jo Churchill: The public health science campus at Harlow is not yet operating as a Public Health England facility. The modern state-of-the-art campus will bring the very latest technology and capabilities to support an efficient and effective response to future emergencies and pandemics.

Cancer: Health Services

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the £3 billion funding allocated to support the NHS recovery from the effect of covid-19 at the Spending Review 2020 will be invested in (a) cancer diagnostics, (b) radiotherapy treatments and (c) the cancer workforce.

Jo Churchill: The Spending Review 2020 confirmed an additional £3 billion for the National Health Service on top of the long-term settlement, to support the recovery from the impact of COVID-19. This includes approximately £1 billion to begin tackling the elective backlog and approximately £1.5 billion to help ease existing pressures caused by COVID-19. This package will be supported by £325 million capital funding for NHS diagnostics to replace over two thirds of imaging equipment over 10 years old.The Spending Review 2020 will also provide £260 million to continue to increase the NHS workforce and support commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan. Full details on funding allocations in 2021-22, including for NHS cancer workforce and cancer diagnostics, will be subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and finalised in due course.

Pharmacy: Coronavirus

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of turning the covid-19 financial support package for community pharmacies into a grant rather than a loan.

Jo Churchill: Discussions are taking place with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee about additional funding for costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of its ongoing assessment of COVID-19 costs incurred by the sector, the Government will take account of the £370 million increased advance payments paid to community pharmacies.The support package for community pharmacy also included general COVID-19 business support, funding for Bank Holiday openings, social distancing measures and the medicine delivery service to shielded patients, free personal protective equipment and non-monetary support including the removal of some administrative tasks, flexibility in opening hours and the delayed introduction of new services.

Department for Education

Pupils: Allergies

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance is in place on the provision schools must make for children with allergies at risk of anaphylaxis.

Vicky Ford: Governing bodies of maintained schools and proprietors of academies have a legal duty to ensure that their school has a policy in place to support pupils with medical conditions. The department’s statutory guidance ‘Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions at School’ makes it clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies. The guidance provides advice on a range of areas including staff training, administration of medicines and consulting with parents. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.Schools should also be aware of Department of Health and Social Care guidance for schools on adrenaline auto-injectors: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schools. Any member of staff may volunteer to take on the responsibilities set out in this guidance, but they cannot be required to do so.We have also made allergies part of the Health Education curriculum for all pupils in state funded schools, which has been mandatory since September 2020. Schools must have regard to the guidance we have issued, which sets out that pupils should be taught about the facts and science relating to allergies, immunisation and vaccination: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.In addition to this, officials in the department work closely with the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance, of which the Anaphylaxis Campaign is a member, to explore how we can supplement the statutory requirements with accessible resources to help schools to improve the way they support children with allergies.

Department for Education: Ipsos MORI

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's executive agency spend over £25,000, what the nature was of the research and development work conducted by IPSOS Mori for each transaction from (a) March 2020 to (b) December 2020.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's executive agency spend over £25,000, what the nature was of the research and development work conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation for each transaction from (a) March 2020 to (b) December 2020.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's executive agency spend over £25,000, what the nature was of the research and development work conducted by KANTAR UK LTD for each transaction from (a) March 2020 and (b) December 2020.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's executive agency spend over £25,000, what the nature was of the research and development work conducted by CARDIFF UNIVERSITY for each transaction from (a) March 2020 to (b) December 2020.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's executive agency spend over £25,000, what the nature was of the research and development work conducted by Renaissance Learning UK Ltd for each transaction from (a) March 2020 to (b) December 2020.

Nick Gibb: The attached excel table summarises the total spend with the bodies listed for the period between March and December 2020, and the nature of the research and development work associated with each. 170601-5_table (xls, 43.0KB)

Gender Based Violence: Education

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to include education on gender-based violence in schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department is supporting all young people to be happy, healthy, safe, equipped for adult life, able to understand the world they are growing up in, and able to make a positive contribution to society.Relationship Education is now compulsory for all primary school pupils, Relationships and Sex Education compulsory for all secondary school pupils, and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools. The new subjects are being taught from the start of this academic year, and the latest statutory guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.High quality teaching of these subjects will ensure that children understand what positive, healthy, and respectful relationships look like and help to prevent abuse and gender- based violence. The starting principle when teaching these subjects must be the applicable law. The Department wants pupils to develop a clear understanding of their rights, including how to recognise unhealthy or abusive relationships. We also want schools to support pupils who have experienced unsafe or abusive relationships and approach these subjects with sensitivity.To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence we have produced Relationship, Sex and Health Education teacher training modules. Each module covers safeguarding to make sure teachers, pastoral staff and the designated safeguarding leads are equipped to deal with sensitive discussions and potential disclosures. Additionally, to help schools implement a whole school approach to promoting healthy relationships and tackling gender-based violence, the Department has developed a ‘Respectful Schools Tool’. The tool is designed to help schools deliver on a range of existing equalities, behaviour, bullying and safeguarding duties.

Gender Based Violence: Education

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the potential effect of gender-based violence education in schools on helping to reduce the number of (a) adults convicted of a sexual offence and (b) victims of sexual assault.

Nick Gibb: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, meets regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the Department's agenda.Tackling gender-based violence is a top priority for the Government and we are determined to step up our response to prevent these crimes and improve support and outcomes for victims.The Department welcomes the re-opening of the Home Office’s consultation on Violence Against Women and Girls and would encourage everyone to take part, if they have not already done so. We will continue to work closely with the Home Office on the development of the Government’s forthcoming Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, which will be informed by the responses received to the call for evidence. The new VAWG Strategy will focus on prevention, drive forward improvements in the effort to target perpetrators, respond to the changing nature of crimes against women and girls and, most importantly, will continue to put victims at the heart of our approach.The Department is supporting teachers to deliver the new Relationship, Sex and Health Education with confidence, including covering issues such as rape, harassment and abuse in the newly published Being Safe module.

Pupil Premium

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the changes to the amount of pupil premium funding schools will receive as a result of basing allocations on the October 2020 census rather than the January 2021 census.

Nick Gibb: The January 2021 census will be used to determine pupil premium eligibility for alternative provision and pupil referral units for the financial year 2021-22. Pupil premium eligibility for mainstream and special schools will be based on the October 2020 census.Per pupil funding rates will be the same as in 2020-21, which is expected to increase pupil premium funding from £2.4 billion in 2020-21 to more than £2.5 billion in 2021-22 as more children have become eligible for free school meals. In addition to this the Government announced a further £300 million for a one-off Recovery Premium which will be allocated to schools based on the same methodology as the pupil premium. In this way, schools with more disadvantaged pupils will receive larger amounts.The Department will confirm pupil premium allocations for the financial year 2021-22 in June 2021. This will provide the public with information on the specific amounts that regions, local authorities and schools are receiving through the pupil premium for 2021-22.Data on the number of pupils who have become eligible for free school meals since 2 October 2020 is currently being collected in the spring school census and is not yet available.The Department publishes information on pupil premium allocations and the number of pupils eligible annually. The most recent publicly available figures can be found via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2020-to-2021.

Music: Education

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when his Department plans to provide Arts Council England with the final funding information relating to Music Education Hubs in England; and if he will ensure that Music Hubs urgently receive confirmation of funding levels in order to avert the termination of agreements.

Nick Gibb: Music Education Hubs have a vital role to play not only in core school music but also in ensuring children have access to all the benefits of a wider musical education through instrumental lessons and ensembles. They have acted swiftly and innovatively to support schools through the COVID-19 outbreak, including the continuation of continuing professional development to classroom teachers.Following the one-year Spending Review settlement, the Department will continue to fund Music Education Hubs for the financial year 2021-22. Funding has been confirmed with Arts Council England and all Music Education Hubs organisations were updated on this matter. Further details on specific funding allocations for each hub will follow shortly, alongside an announcement on Department funding for music education nationally.

Students: Fees and Charges

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will allocate funding from the public purse for universities to offer refunds of 50 per cent to (a) postgraduate, (b) international and (c) other students who privately fund the cost of their tuition in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic year.

Michelle Donelan: This has been a very difficult time for students, and the government is working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies. I want to thank all higher education (HE) staff for their tireless work to ensure that young people do not have to put their lives or their academic journeys on hold.I welcome the huge amount of resources universities have given to ensure online teaching is of the high quality expected by the government and the Office for Students (OfS). The government’s clear and stated expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and seek to ensure that all students regardless of their background have the resources to study remotely.Universities are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees within maximum fee limits set by regulations, where applicable. The OfS, as regulator for HE providers in England, has made it clear that HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards, which set out requirements to ensure that courses are high quality, that all students, both domestic and international are supported and achieve good outcomes, and that standards are protected, regardless of whether a provider is delivering its courses through face-to-face teaching, remote online learning, or a combination of both.We continue to regularly engage the sector in discussion on this issue. I wrote to the OfS on 13 January 2021 outlining the government’s expectations of the HE sector. Following this, the OfS wrote to provider accountable officers, setting out the actions they are taking in connection with providers’ compliance to existing regulatory requirements. The OfS has also published guidance on student and consumer protection during the COVID-19 outbreak, which is available via the following link: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/guidance-for-providers-about-student-and-consumer-protection-during-the-pandemic/.Whether or not an individual student is entitled to a refund will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the provider and student. Due to the individualised nature of student contracts and student circumstances, the process which is in place ensures that institutions have the opportunity to consider student complaints effectively and offers them an opportunity for early resolution of complaints with students. This is particularly important in situations where remedies other than refunds would be more helpful or beneficial to a student.If students have concerns, there is a process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education to consider their complaint. This is the case for both domestic and international students. The OIA website is available via the following link: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/.The OfS does not get involved in individual student complaints. These are for the relevant HE provider and possibly the OIA. Students can, however, notify the OfS of issues that may be of regulatory interest to it. These are called notifications. The OfS uses this information as part of its regulatory monitoring activity and keep HE providers under review to ensure that they comply with the ongoing conditions of registration. The OfS has produced a guide for students to support them in this process, which is available via the following link: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/office-for-students-notifications/.In relation to international students, the government has worked closely with the HE sector to ensure that existing rules and processes are as flexible as possible for international students at this time. This includes the ability to engage via distance/blended learning for the duration of the 2020/21 academic year and confirming that existing international students who have been studying by distance distance/blended learning will remain eligible to apply for the new graduate route, provided they are in the UK by 21 June 2021 (27 September for those studying one-year courses in 2021) and meet the other requirements of the route. I have also written to international students directly throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, providing up-to-date guidance and setting out the support available for students.In relation to postgraduate students, the master’s loan scheme was introduced in summer 2016 to help remove the financial barrier often faced by those wishing to step up to achieving a master’s level qualification. This was followed two years later with the doctoral degree loan. Both loans are intended as a contribution to the cost of postgraduate level study and is not intended to cover all costs associated with postgraduate study.We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The department has worked with the OfS to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. We have also made an additional £70 million of student hardship funding available to HE providers this financial year. HE providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need. This is available to all students, including international and postgraduate students.

Students: Fees and Charges

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps with representatives of the Student Loan Company to remove 50 per cent of tuition fee debt incurred by students in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic year.

Michelle Donelan: This has been a very difficult time for students, and the government is working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies. We are committed to ensuring students receive high-quality education. I want to thank all higher education (HE) staff for their tireless work to ensure that young people do not have to put their lives or their academic journeys on hold. I have been impressed by the innovative and dynamic approaches so many providers have taken to online learning.I welcome the huge amount of resource universities have given to ensuring online teaching is of the high quality expected by the government and the Office for Students (OfS). The government’s clear and stated expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and seek to ensure that all students regardless of their background have the resources to study remotely.Universities are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees within maximum fee limits set by regulations, where applicable. The OfS, as regulator for HE providers in England, has made it clear that HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards, which set out requirements to ensure that courses are high-quality, that all students, both domestic and international are supported and achieve good outcomes, and that standards are protected, regardless of whether a provider is delivering its courses through face-to-face teaching, remote online learning, or a combination of both.I wrote to the OfS on 13 January 2021, outlining the government’s expectations of the HE sector. Following this, the OfS wrote to provider accountable officers, setting out the actions they are taking in connection with providers’ compliance to existing regulatory requirements. The OfS has also published guidance on student and consumer protection during the COVID-19 outbreak, which is available via the following link: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/guidance-for-providers-about-student-and-consumer-protection-during-the-pandemic/.Whether or not an individual student is entitled to a refund will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the provider and student. Due to the individualised nature of student contracts and student circumstances, the process which is in place ensures that institutions have the opportunity to consider student complaints effectively and offers them an opportunity for early resolution of complaints with students. This is particularly important in situations where remedies other than refunds would be more helpful or beneficial to a student.If students have concerns, there is a process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education to consider their complaint. This is the case for both domestic and international students. The OIA website is available via the following link: https://oiahe.org.uk.The OfS does not get involved in individual student complaints, that is for the relevant HE provider and possibly the OIA. Students can, however, notify the OfS of issues that may be of regulatory interest to it. These are called notifications. The OfS uses this information as part of its regulatory monitoring activity and keep HE providers under review to ensure that they comply with the ongoing conditions of registration. The OfS has produced a guide for students to support them in this process, which is available via the following link: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/office-for-students-notifications/.The government recognises that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The department has worked with the OfS to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. We have also made an additional £70 million of student hardship funding available to HE providers this financial year. HE providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need. This is available to all students, including international.

Students: Housing

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will increase funding for universities to enable those universities to offer proportionate rebates for students in halls who entered into accommodation contracts for the 2020-21 academic year.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will provide funding for (a) private sector landlords and (b) owners of purpose-built students accommodation to offer proportionate rebates for students not using such accommodation during the covid-19 outbreak.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable students who wish to break (a) university and (b) private-sector accommodation contracts early due to being unable to access their term-time housing for significant periods during the covid-19 outbreak.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will provide additional funding for universities to fund (a) additional mental health support, (b) community building initiatives and (c) student hardship grants.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps with (a) universities and (b) NHS mental health service providers to ensure that students are able to access support free at the point of access which is available between their term-time address and non-term time address.

Michelle Donelan: This has been a very difficult time for students, and we urge universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure that they are fair, clear and have the interests of students at heart.The government plays no role in the provision of student residential accommodation. Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own rent agreements. Whether a student is entitled to a refund or to an early release from their contract will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between them and their higher education (HE) provider.We recognise that, in these exceptional circumstances, some students may face financial hardship. The department has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that HE providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for the 2020/21 academic year, towards hardship support. We have also made an additional £70 million of student hardship funding available to HE providers this financial year.HE providers will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. Support might include help for students facing additional costs arising from having to maintain accommodation in more than one location. The funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including postgraduates (whether taught or research) and international students. We will continue to monitor the situation to look at what impact this funding is having.The department has also provided £50,000 in funding to help set up the Civic University Network. This funding and the network will help to improve the relationship between universities and their communities and will facilitate sharing of good practice between HE institutions.Tenants, including student renters, should continue to pay rent and abide by all other terms of their tenancy agreement to the best of their ability. Where tenants can pay the rent as normal, they should do so. Tenants who are unable to do so should speak to their landlord at the earliest opportunity.There is further information for tenants and landlords in the context of COVID-19, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds affected by COVID-19: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds. This guidance sets out the CMA’s view on how the law operates to help consumers understand their rights and help businesses treat their customers fairly.Students may be entitled to refunds from certain accommodation providers. depending on the terms of their contract and their particular circumstances. Organisations such as Citizens Advice offer a free service, providing information and support.Protecting student and staff wellbeing is vital - it is important students can still access the mental health and wellbeing support they need. We recognise that many students are facing additional mental health challenges due to the disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.We expect HE providers to continue to support their students, which has included making services accessible from a distance. We encourage students to stay in touch with their provider’s student support and welfare teams as these services are likely to continue to be an important source of support. Many providers have bolstered their existing mental health services, and adapted delivery mechanisms including reaching out to students who may be more vulnerable.I have engaged with universities on this issue and I have written to Vice Chancellors on numerous occasions, outlining that student welfare should be prioritised. I have also convened a working group of representatives from the higher education and health sectors to specifically address the current and pressing issues that students are facing during the COVID-19 outbreak.My hon. Friend, the Minister for Children and Families, and I have convened the Mental Health in Education Action Group. This new group, which met for the first time on 8 March, will look at the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people, and staff in nurseries, schools, colleges and universities.We have worked with the OfS to provide Student Space, which has been funded by up to £3 million by the OfS. Student Space is a mental health and wellbeing platform designed to bridge any gaps in support for students arising from this unprecedented situation and is designed to work alongside existing services. Ensuring that students have access to quality mental health support is my top priority, which is why I asked the OfS to look at extending the platform. I am delighted they have been able to extend the platform to support students for the whole 2020/21 academic year, because no student should be left behind at this challenging time. This resource provides dedicated one-to-one phone, text and web chat facilities as well as a collaborative online platform providing vital mental health and wellbeing resources.Furthermore, we have asked the OfS to allocate £15 million towards student mental health in the 2021/22 academic year through proposed reforms to Strategic Priorities grant funding, to help address the challenges to student mental health posed by the transition to university, given the increasing demand for mental health services. This will target those students in greatest need of such services, including vulnerable groups and hard to reach students.Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak the government has provided over £10 million to leading mental health charities including charities like Young Minds and Place 2 Be, which specifically support the mental health of young people.Students struggling with their mental health can access services through the GP they are registered with, or they can register temporarily with a GP closer to their current location if needed: https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/how-do-i-register-as-a-temporary-resident-with-a-gp/, Students can also access online resources from the NHS, Public Health England via the Every Mind Matters website and the mental health charity Mind: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/.

Asylum: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities have been unable to fulfil their duties to unaccompanied asylum seeking children under the Children Act 1989 in each year since 2010.

Vicky Ford: Legislation is clear about the statutory duties placed on local authorities in caring for unaccompanied children. Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 imposes a duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area and to accommodate them if they meet the relevant criteria for requiring accommodation under section 20 of the Children Act 1989.As far as the department is aware, two local authorities have been unable to fulfil these duties to unaccompanied asylum seeking children under the Children Act 1989 since 2010, both in 2020, with one ongoing in 2021. We have been working with both councils to support them to meet their duties to unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The government has also worked with local authorities across the country to secure alternative placements for children and young people arriving in these local authorities.An unaccompanied asylum seeking child will become looked after by the local authority after having been accommodated by that local authority under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 for 24 hours. This will mean that the local authority has the same statutory duties towards them as to any other looked after child.Local authorities supporting high numbers of unaccompanied asylum seeking children in proportion to their child population have, since 2016, been able to refer children to the National Transfer Scheme if they are concerned about their capacity to meet their statutory duties towards them as looked after children. A place will then be sought for those children with another local authority that will take on statutory duties for them. Statistics on transfers made through the National Transfer Scheme are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-february-2020.

Northern College Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the quality of teaching and learning at Northern College in Barnsley.

Gillian Keegan: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member for Barnsley Central directly and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Apprentices and Vacancies: Coronavirus

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the number of (a) graduate job vacancies and (b) apprenticeship starts in (i) Coventry North East constituency, (ii) Coventry, (iii) the West Midlands and (iv) England.

Michelle Donelan: We recognise that a number of education leavers will face challenges gaining employment due to the ongoing adverse impact on the UK labour market and economy of the COVID-19 outbreak.Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that unemployment amongst graduates in the UK has been consistently lower than the total unemployed. The unemployment rate for recent graduates remains below the youth (16-24 years of age) unemployment rate. This data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/graduateslabourmarketoutcomesduringthecoronaviruscovid19pandemicoccupationalswitchesandskillmismatch/2021-03-08. We do not hold data about graduate-specific job vacancies and how these vary by region.The government is doing all it can to help people who are at the start of their career journey. The Department for Work and Pensions is aiming to have a nationwide network of 27,000 Work Coaches in place by the end of March 2021 to support jobseekers and match them with employers who are recruiting.As part of the government’s skills recovery package Plan for Jobs announced on 8 July 2020, we are investing an additional £32 million in the National Careers Service up to March 2022. This investment will provide individual careers advice for 269,000 more people whose jobs or learning have been affected by COVID-19. On 29 September 2020 we added additional courses to The Skills Toolkit covering digital, numeracy and employability skills. The new content includes a range of courses to develop ‘work readiness’ skills that employers report they value in their new recruits.The Department for Education is working with Universities UK, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, the Institute of Student Employers, the Office for Students, and the sector to understand what more we can do to support graduates who are looking to enter the labour market or continue their studies at this challenging time.Apprenticeships are more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people and develop the skills they need. In recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak we introduced a number of flexibilities to ensure that apprenticeships can continue where possible. This includes flexibilities to off-the-job training to support remote learning and making it possible for furloughed apprentices to continue their apprenticeships and undertake end-point assessments.To help employers across the country offer new apprenticeships we have increased the duration and level of incentive payments. Employers will be able to claim £3,000 for each apprentice they take on as a new employee between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021 under the government’s Plan for Jobs. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/incentive-payments-for-hiring-a-new-apprentice.Apprenticeships starts in the first quarter of 2020/21 academic year (reported to date) in the requested geographies, and the equivalent 2019/20 academic year figures are shown in the attached table.The latest data on apprenticeships and traineeships is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.169871_table (xls, 49.0KB)

Nurseries: Living Wage

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2020 to Question 130189, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the increase in early years funding for 2021-22 will pay for a rate increase that is higher than the costs nurseries may face from the uplift to the national living wage in April 2021.

Vicky Ford: The national living wage will increase by 19p per hour from April 2021.We have uplifted the funding rates by 8p an hour for 2 year olds and, for the vast majority of areas, by 6p an hour for 3 year olds and 4 year olds.Ratio requirements for adults working with children in early years settings are set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Early years settings make their own decisions on how to deploy staff within the ratios, ensuring that children’s needs are met.The funding rate increase is higher than the costs that nurseries may face from the April 2021 uplift to the national living wage.

Pupils and Students: Sexual Offences

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) schools, (b) further education providers and (c) universities recording and publishing the number of sexual abuse cases experienced by students for the safety of female students.

Vicky Ford: Any form of harassment, violence or sexual assault is abhorrent and unacceptable anywhere in society, including in our schools, colleges and universities, which should be safe and inclusive environments.There is already a strong and clear framework in place for schools and colleges, which sets out what they should be doing in terms of recording and reporting (to the police and children's social care, as required) in sexual abuse cases.This is set out in ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), which is the statutory guidance to which all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2. It sets out a framework for information recording, collection and sharing. This includes, amongst other things, that all concerns, discussions and decisions made, and the reasons for those decisions, should be recorded in writing and that staff should speak to their Designated Safeguarding Lead if they have any doubts about this requirement.To further support schools and colleges, we have published departmental advice on what sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges looks like, how to prevent it, how to respond to reports of it, and on how to support victims. This information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sexual-violence-and-sexual-harassment-between-children-in-schools-and-colleges.We regularly consult on KCSIE to see where we might be able to strengthen it. Our latest consultation was launched on 10 December 2020 and closed on 4 March 2021. At the same time, we also sought views on revisions to the stand-alone advice on sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges. We are now analysing those responses and revised guidance is expected to come into force in September 2021.Higher Education (HE) providers are autonomous, and have clear responsibilities, including under the Equality Act 2010, and should have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law, and to investigate and swiftly address reports of sexual misconduct.The government already urges university leaders to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to all harassment and sexual misconduct and improve the systems for reporting incidents. The government also urges HE providers to collect comprehensive accurate data on harassment incidents, and continue to break down barriers to reporting, in spite of the potential for this to lead to initial spikes in reported instances.The Universities UK ‘Changing the Culture' framework 2016 report made a number of recommendations on tackling harassment and hate crime on campus, including on improving reporting rates and mechanisms for disclosure in HE providers. These included that relevant internal and external support should be signposted, and that reporting procedures should be centralised, accessible, and allow for anonymity if preferred, as well as enabling accurate data to be captured to determine the scale of a problem and track year on-year trends. The report can be found here: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2016/changing-the-culture.pdf.The Office for Students has recently made a statement on next steps for tackling harassment and hate crime in higher education, including plans for publication of its statement of expectations on harassment and hate crime. This is available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-wellbeing-and-protection/prevent-and-address-harassment-and-sexual-misconduct/statement-of-expectations/.

Adult Education: South Yorkshire

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of access to (a) first steps and (b) community learning on disadvantaged adults in South Yorkshire; and what recent steps his Department has taken to support those people.

Gillian Keegan: Community learning, funded through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and Adult Education Budget (AEB), provides a way of progressing to further learning, training or employment, particularly for disadvantaged learners.The ESFA community learning objectives require providers to prioritise disadvantaged learners. It is an important stepping stone, particularly for these learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, learners with low basic skills, learners with mental health issues, and learners facing financial hardship.Community learning is funded through the AEB which aims to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. Colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their community learning, to determine how best to meet their learners' needs.Currently, approximately half of the AEB has been devolved to seven Combined Mayoral Authorities (CMAs) and the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority (GLA). Devolution of the AEB gives CMAs and the GLA direct control over adult education provision for their residents and provides local areas the opportunity to better meet local needs. The ESFA is responsible for funding AEB learners resident in non-devolved areas including South Yorkshire currently.Sheffield City Region is due to take on adult education functions from the 2021/22 academic year. We will continue to work with Sheffield City Region to support their preparations for devolution.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March to Question 164329 on reinstating recently retired magistrates under 75 years of age who wish to rejoin the Bench, if he will set up an application process based on establishing a regional pool of magistrates who can (i) be called upon at short notice to support different courts in a given area, and (ii), in the case of  highly experienced, recently retired Presiding Justices, assist in the conducting of JP appraisals.

Chris Philp: When the new mandatory retirement age comes into force, there will be a transitional provision to enable retired magistrates to apply to return to the bench, subject to business need. The process by which such applications are to be made and considered will be set out in due course.

Juries: Hearing Impairment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what adjustments do HM Courts and Tribunal Service offer to deaf jurors who need speech to text reporting within a deliberation room.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether Clause 164 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would allow deaf people who need Speech to Text Reporting within the deliberation room to undertake jury service.

Chris Philp: Individuals with hearing impairments currently have access to Induction Loop Systems and those who are able to lip read can and do serve as jurors. They also have access to shorthand writers who transcribe the proceedings in court. While Speech to Text Reporters (STTR) may be suitable for transcribing court proceedings, they are not considered an effective option to enable jurors to converse and engage with other jurors and fully participate in deliberations. Clause 164 in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill has therefore been drafted to enable only British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters to be present in the jury deliberation room. We have also considered speech to text transcription using AI technology as an additional support which would not require a change in the law. However, the technology is not yet sufficiently advanced to accurately transcribe a real time written account of jury deliberations and enable a deaf juror to fully engage in discussions. We will continue to keep this under review as the technology develops.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mechanisms to appeal against fines issued under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020.

Chris Philp: There are adequate mechanisms to appeal fines imposed by magistrates’ courts under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) England) Regulations 2020. The rights to appeal sentences imposed in relation to these offences are the same as the rights to appeal in relation to any other criminal offence. Any defendant may appeal to the Crown Court and have a full rehearing before a judge and two magistrates. In addition, if the defendant was not aware of the proceedings, they may make a statutory declaration before a magistrate or justices’ legal adviser which has the effect of revoking the conviction. Finally, magistrates’ courts can revoke convictions and amend sentences under section 142 of the Magistrates Court Act 1980 if later satisfied that they were made in error.

Magistrates' Courts: Prison Sentences

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to commence section 154 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Chris Philp: The government has no current plans to increase magistrates’ custodial sentencing powers, but keeps this under review.

Prison Sentences

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to review imprisonment for public protection sentences.

Chris Philp: The Government keeps the operation of sentences of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) under constant review. This includes continuing to ensure that IPP prisoners, as well as all prisoners serving indeterminate sentences, have every opportunity to progress towards safe release. HM Prison and Probation Service are focused on reducing the risk and thereby the successful rehabilitation of IPP prisoners via an action plan which is being taken forward jointly with the Parole Board. This approach is working, with high numbers of unreleased IPP prisoners achieving a release decision each year. All IPP prisoners will have their continued detention reviewed by the independent Parole Board at least once every two years.

Ivory: Smuggling

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2021 to Question 161718, on Ivory: Smuggling, under which category of offence in his Department's Court Proceedings Database have offences related to ivory smuggling been recorded in the last five years; how many people have been prosecuted for this category of offence in each of the last five years; how many of those prosecutions have resulted in (a) convictions, (b) custodial sentences, and (c) non-custodial sentences; and what the average fine was for people receiving a non-custodial sentence for this category of offence in the last five years.

Chris Philp: It is not possible to identify prosecutions and outcomes for the specific offence of ivory smuggling as it is not separately identified in legislation. Offences involving but not limited to ivory smuggling may be found within the following offences:099/17 - Triable either way offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 2018, paragraph 1099/18 - Triable either way offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 2018, paragraph 2099/96 - Triable either way offences under Animal & Animal Products (Import & Export) (No.2) Regulations 2004099/99 - Other triable either way (non-motoring) offences The Ministry of Justice holds published information on prosecutions, convictions and sentences under the above offences, in the ‘Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code’ data tool, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938554/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsx In order to determine whether ivory was smuggled in any offences within the categories identified would require a manual search of court records which would incur disproportionate costs.

Eastwood Park Prison: Pregnancy

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women were known to be pregnant while on remand or serving a sentence in HMP Eastwood Park in each quarter from 31 March 2015 to 30 September 2020 (a) in total and (b) by ethnicity.

Alex Chalk: Prior to July 2020 pregnancy data was collected locally by individual prisons, we are in the process of retrieving data from the establishment and quality assuring the information requested. As soon as verified data is available, I will write to the Honourable Member. As of last summer, internal national data collection processes have been in place to enable us to plan for future publication. In July 2020 we published a summary report of our review of operational policy on pregnancy and women separated from children under 2. This included an undertaking to extend the range of data we publish in relation to pregnant women in prison, and can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/905559/summary-report-of-review-of-policy-on-mbu.pdf

Coldingley Prison and Spring Hill Prison: Prisoners' Transfers

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether prison transfers are being accepted to (a) HMP Spring Hill and (b) HMP Coldingley.

Alex Chalk: Both HMP Spring Hill and HMP Coldingley are currently accepting transfers. In order to control the transmission of the virus, prisoners who are transferred to another prison are quarantined for 14 days upon arrival in order to manage any risks they might bring and protect the rest of a prison’s population. We are also testing all new arrivals and transfers twice in the first six days in all prisons across the estate. In addition, rapid point of care tests are being introduced in all prisons to enable prisoners to be tested prior to transfer. Any positive results or symptomatic prisoners are not transferred. Whilst transfers into the majority of prisons have not ceased, specific prisons may have to temporarily pause their transfers in/out in the event of a declared outbreak. The timeframes associated with this pause, as well as the recovery measures required, are monitored nationally by HMPPS and taken in close consultation with public health bodies.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Coronavirus

Suzanne Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many covid-19 positive test results there have been amongst HM Courts and Tribunals Service staff from 25 February 2021 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Chris Philp: Between 25 February and 12 March 15 HMCTS staff (including agency) reported a positive test result for COVID-19 to HMCTS. The table below shows the days the positive results were reported to HMCTS: 25 Feb26 Feb27 Feb28 Feb1 Mar2 Mar3 Mar4 Mar5 Mar6 Mar7 Mar8 Mar9 Mar10 Mar11 Mar12 MarHMCTS Staff positive cases (daily)4300410100001001 Due to the time taken for individuals to take a test, receive test results, and then communicate this to HMCTS, further cases may be added after the time of publishing. All HMCTS buildings continue to meet or exceed all Public Health safety standards. We follow all Public Health and Government COVID-secure guidelines and have put measures in place to keep all court and tribunal users safe. When Government or Public Health guidance changes our measures are updated, an approach which is endorsed by Public Health England and Public Health Wales. HMCTS employs around 19,800 staff (payroll and non-payroll). HMCTS staff engagement is maintained through regular internal updates on COVID-secure measures and feedback (from staff and users) is encouraged through various reporting methods. HMCTS numbers have tracked the national averages – sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower. Overall, the HMCTS staff positive incident rate is broadly similar to national averages over time and recently prevalence rates amongst staff have been trending below the national average. For example, at the end of the period set out above, the rolling 7-day per 100,000 rate among HMCTS staff was at 10.0, compared with a national rate of 59.6. HMCTS’ investigations (and those of public health authorities) have indicated that transmission on the estate is rare (i.e. that, in most cases, transmission outside of the workplace is more likely).

Department for International Trade

Small Businesses: Exports

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support small and medium sized enterprises to increase their exports.

Graham Stuart: This Government is creating new opportunities for businesses to grow overseas, including through 66 new trade deals that, along with the EU, account for £890bn in bilateral trade. The Department for International Trade is supporting businesses to take advantage of these new opportunities through our global network, a £38 million internationalisation fund, the Export Academy as well new Trade Hubs across the UK. We have increased our lending capacity for exporters to £8bn, with £2bn dedicated to Clean Growth projects, through the award-winning UK Export Finance. We will be further enhancing the Government’s support for exporters through a refreshed Export Strategy.

Import Duties: USA

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reason her Department's policy on retaliatory tariffs against the US differs in relation to the (a) steel and aluminium and (b) Boeing-Airbus dispute.

Greg Hands: The UK Government is committed to resolving both issues to defend UK industry and jobs.The s.232 tariffs placed on the UK by the US are World Trade Organisation (WTO)-inconsistent and damaging to our steel and aluminium industry. It is important to retain our rebalancing measures to defend our economic interests and uphold the rules-based international trading system. If the US removes these tariffs, we will remove our rebalancing measures.The retaliatory tariffs from the Boeing-Airbus disputes were awarded by the WTO, and we have agreed a four-month mutual suspension that benefits key UK industries like Scotch Whisky, Irish Whiskey, pork, construction vehicles, cashmere, cheese and others, and creates space to reach a negotiated settlement.

Trade Agreements: Clothing

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that future trade deals are designed to help tackle the exploitation of garment industry workers around the world.

Graham Stuart: The UK is committed to working with international partners and businesses to tackle modern slavery in global supply chains. It is vital that increased trade is not based on the exploitation and abuse of workers. In line with our international obligations, the Government ensures a high level of protection of labour standards in new trade agreements, including considering how future trade policy can be shaped to ensure the exploitation and abuse of workers is prevented.

Whisky: USA

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she (a) has the legal authority and (b) plans to double retaliatory tariffs on imports of bourbon whiskey from the US after 1 June 2021.

Greg Hands: The Government takes its international and domestic legal obligations very seriously. Under Article 8.3 of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Safeguards, the UK has the right to impose rebalancing measures in response to the US’s WTO-inconsistent tariffs on steel and aluminium products, and derivatives. The domestic power to impose such measures is provided in the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018.We are considering whether to introduce additional rebalancing measures from June 2021. Our priority is to defend British interests across all sectors of the economy.

Trade Agreements: Higher Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with stakeholders in the higher education sector on the needs of that sector with regard to future trade deals; and if she will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade (DIT) engages regularly with key higher education stakeholder groups to seek their views on free trade agreements and to understand the needs of the sector. The Education Sector Advisory Group, jointly chaired by myself and the Universities Minister, brings together industry, government and relevant partners and is regularly updated on the progress of trade negotiations.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Hong Kong: Administration of Justice

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chinese Government on its proposed reforms of the judicial system in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Adams: The UK is deeply concerned about the situation in Hong Kong and the erosion of rights enshrined under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. As the Foreign Secretary said on 11 March, this is the latest step by Beijing to hollow out the space for democratic debate in Hong Kong, contrary to the promises made by China itself. This can only further undermine confidence and trust in China living up to its international responsibilities and legal obligations, as a leading member of the international community.On 13 March the Foreign Secretary issued a statement calling a third breach of the Joint Declaration following the decision by the National People's Congress in Beijing to bring in changes to the Hong Kong electoral system. This is the third breach in 9 months and the UK now considers Beijing to be in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Joint Declaration - a demonstration of the growing gulf between Beijing's promises and its actions. On 12 March the Foreign Secretary also released a joint statement with his G7 counterparts expressing their grave concerns at the continued erosion of rights in Hong Kong.The UK has raised our concerns with China, including with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Chinese Embassy in London, as have many of our international partners. The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities can be in no doubt about the seriousness of our concerns.

Abduction: Children

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many international parental abduction cases had been raised with his Department between (a) March 2018 and March 2019, (b) March 2019 to March 2020 and (c) March 2020 to March 2021.

Nigel Adams: The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) treats reports of international parental child abduction very seriously. We work closely with authorities in the United Kingdom and abroad to assist the return of children to their place of habitual residence. Details of the assistance the FCDO provides can be found in the international parental child abduction guidance on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-parental-child-abduction/international-parental-child-abduction). In the 2018/19 financial year, 270 cases of international parental child abduction were raised with the FCDO with a further 267 cases raised in the following financial year, 2019/20. To date in this financial year, covering the period of April 2020 to February 2021, 144 international parental child abduction cases have been raised with the FCDO.

Latin America: Rainforests

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Latin American counterparts on the protection of tropical rainforests; and what support the Government has provided for the protection of those rainforests.

Wendy Morton: The UK is committed to encouraging and contributing to international action to address the problem of deforestation and the protection of tropical rainforests in Latin America. We believe that environmental issues can be addressed most effectively through leadership and action taken in the region, supported by international partners. Environmental issues are a regular part of our dialogue with countries in Latin America, for example through the Partnership for Sustainable Growth with Colombia and the High-Level Strategic Dialogue with Brazil, and most recently when the Foreign Secretary spoke to the Brazilian Foreign Minister in January.Through the UK's International Climate Finance (ICF) we run major programmes on sustainable agriculture, tackling deforestation and improving livelihoods. To date the UK has committed approximately £259 million to Brazil and around £244 million to Colombia in International Climate Finance.

Ukraine: Overseas Aid

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance has been spent in support of Ukraine's reform programme in the financial years (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

Wendy Morton: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Libya: IRA

Simon Hoare: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff contributed to the work undertaken by William Shawcross as Special Representative on UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism; and what the cost to the public purse is of that work.

James Cleverly: Mr Shawcross, supported by a senior adviser and acting in an independent capacity, produced an internal scoping report on the subject of compensation for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism. Mr Shawcross and his senior adviser were appointed within Government guidelines for Ministerial appointments and specialist contractors. The FCDO provided secretariat and logistical support.

India: Farmers

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Prime Minister on condemning the state violence against the farmers protestors in India.

Nigel Adams: The Foreign Secretary has not discussed this issue with the Prime Minister. We recognise the interest in the Indian government's agricultural reform program, and we respect India's democratic process, which includes the ability to debate and peacefully protest.

Chen Quanguo

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the US Administration's imposition of global Magnitsky sanctions and visa restrictions against Chen Quanguo in response to his role in perpetrating human rights violations against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang; and what plans he has to impose Magnisky sanctions on Chen Quanguo.

Nigel Adams: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Morocco: Human Rights

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2021 to Question 155443 on Sultana Khaya, if he will instruct the HM Ambassador to Morocco to raise with the Moroccan Government the throwing of stones at (a) Sultana Khaya and (b) other human rights defenders.

James Cleverly: We are aware of reports concerning Sultana Khaya. Support for human rights and human rights defenders is a priority around the world, and we continue to raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly.

Iraq: Journalism

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent arrests of journalists in the Iraqi Kurdistan region; and if he will make representations to his counterparts in the Kurdish Regional Government on the release of those journalists.

James Cleverly: We are aware of reports concerning the detention and convictions of journalists in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and are following the situation closely. A free and independent media is essential to functioning societies. We condemn acts of intimidation against journalists and media organisations, and the suppression of information.I have raised and continue to raise my concerns over restrictions on media freedom in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani. In the last few weeks, our Ambassador in Baghdad, and our Consul General in Erbil, has also discussed these issues with their interlocutors in the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Libya: IRA

Simon Hoare: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 239852 on Libya: IRA, what the finalised terms of reference were for the work undertaken by William Shawcross as Special Representative on UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism.

Simon Hoare: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 20 May 2020 to Question 38548 on Libya: IRA, and of 20 October 2020 to Question 105446 on IRA: Libya, what steps he has taken to consider the Shawcross report in detail since May 2020; on what dates he has discussed the Shawcross report with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since October 2020; and what the outcome has been of each of those discussions.

James Cleverly: Mr Shawcross was commissioned to write an internal scoping report on the subject of compensation for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism. Ministers across Government are carefully considering Mr Shawcross's report in order to do justice to the important and sensitive issues it covers, giving due respect to victims.

West Bank: Demolition

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK’s diplomatic efforts to end demolitions and settlement expansion in the West Bank; and if he will make a statement.

James Cleverly: The UK has a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. We do not hold back from voicing or raising concern about Israel's actions when warranted. We continue to believe that the best way to advance a two state solution is through dialogue, including by urging an end to settlement expansion and the demolition of Palestinian property in the West Bank. As a proud friend of Israel, and one which has stood up for Israel when it faces bias and unreasonable criticism, we will continue to urge Israel to not take steps such as these, which move us away from shared goals of peace and security.

Overseas Aid

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to reinstate the UKs commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on development by 2030.

Nigel Adams: The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions, including temporarily reducing our ODA from 0.7% to 0.5% of our national income. We will return to this level as soon as the fiscal situation allows.

Overseas Aid

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department will not breach any existing contractual funding agreements with third parties regarding the use of Official Development Assistance funding in the 2021-22 financial year.

Nigel Adams: No decisions have yet been taken regarding programmes. FCDO's Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract allow FCDO to terminate the contract at any time, giving reasonable notice to the supplier. When decisions are taken, we intend to work closely with our supply chain to implement any changes in accordance with the applicable contract.

Diplomatic Service

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the ability of consular services to evolve to meet the needs of British Citizens since the UK left the EU.

Nigel Adams: Consular assistance is the FCDO's most important public service. Consular assistance continues to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere in the world, by phone, online and via social media.Since the beginning of negotiations with the EU, the FCDO has prioritised delivering consular support to UK nationals living in and travelling to the EU, with the objective of reducing preventable consular cases. The FCDO has a network of consular staff based in 21 embassies across Europe, covering 30 of the 31 EU and EFTA states, who work closely with Member States and the European Commission, to ensure the Withdrawal Agreement is correctly applied, and there is clear and appropriate information for UK nationals. The Government is running an information campaign to prepare UK nationals for changes to travel, and for accessing citizens' rights for those living in the EU. The UK Nationals Support Fund is also providing up to £3m of grant funding to third party organisations to support UK nationals in the EU who may face challenges in securing rights.

Developing Countries: Maternity Services

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help end the preventable deaths of mothers, children and newborns in developing countries by 2030.

Wendy Morton: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to working with others to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns, and children by 2030.Since 2000, UK aid has helped immunise over 760 million children, saving over 13 million lives. Our commitment of up to £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will help immunise a further 300 million children over the next 5 years. As we have set out in the Integrated Review, we will also prioritise supporting health systems, which are at the heart of the fight to end preventable deaths.

India: Pesticides

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on the export of (a) Paraquat and (b) other pesticides that are banned in the UK to India.

Nigel Adams: The Foreign Secretary has not discussed this with the International Trade Secretary. The export of paraquat is regulated under the Great Britain Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals from Great Britain must notify the importing country via the exporter's Designated National Authority. For Great Britain the Designated National Authority is The Health and Safety Executive.Paraquat additionally requires the explicit consent of the importing country before export can take place. India allows the import of Paraquat and the exchange of information that PIC provides allows all countries to make informed decisions on the import of those chemicals and on how to handle and use them safely.

India: Agriculture

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will take steps to reassess the UK-India Infrastructure Technical Co-Operation Facility in light of the farmers protests in India.

Nigel Adams: The UK-India Infrastructure Technical Co-Operation Facility is a programme which has focused on infrastructure for transportation, telecommunication, water supply and sanitation, urban infrastructure and emerging areas like renewable energy. There have been no projects relating to agriculture or agri-infrastructure under this programme. We recognise the interest in the Indian government's agricultural reform programme, and we respect India's democratic process, which includes the ability to debate and peacefully protest.

India: Agriculture

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will take steps to reassess the Conceptual Framework on Agriculture in light of the farmers protests in India.

Nigel Adams: The British High Commission in New Delhi monitors developments in India, including recent reforms in agricultural law. We work with our partners in India to build capacity and share expertise to promote prosperity. Through the FCDO's Conceptual Framework on Agriculture, we support small-scale farmers to grow sustainably by improving market access and finance. We recognise the interest in the Indian government's agricultural reform programme, and we respect India's democratic process, which includes the ability to debate and peacefully protest.

India: Arms Trade

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on prohibiting the sale of weapons including water cannons, tear gas and batons which could be used against peaceful protestors in India.

Nigel Adams: The Foreign Secretary has not discussed this issue with the International Trade Secretary. HM Government takes its export responsibilities seriously and will continue to assess all export licences in accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. For items that require an export licence, the criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider the possible impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the criteria.

Jerusalem: Internally Displaced People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2021 to Question 164342, what assessment he has made of whether the forcible transfer of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem potentially constitutes a war crime.

James Cleverly: It is the policy of this government that any judgment on whether serious crimes under international law have occurred is a matter for judicial decision after consideration of all the available evidence, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. The UK regularly engages with Israel on issues of concern related to its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including evictions and demolitions. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances evictions and demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.

Mohammed bin Salman

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Saudi Arabia on the disbandment of the Rapid Intervention Force after it was implicated in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by the declassified CIA report.

James Cleverly: The UK has always been clear that Jamal Khashoggi's murder was a terrible crime. We condemn his killing in the strongest possible terms, which is why we have sanctioned twenty Saudi nationals involved in the murder under the global human rights regime.The Foreign Secretary raised the killing of Jamal Khashoggi during his visit to Riyadh last year, and we continue to raise it in our engagement with the Saudi government.

Overseas Aid: Education

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding was allocated to education in each of the last ten years.

Wendy Morton: Statistics on UK ODA spend on education over the last 10 years, for which data is available (2009-2019), are published in "Statistics on International Development: Final UK Aid Spend 2019," which is available on gov.uk.

Greece and Turkey: Shipping

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government is offering support to facilitate ongoing maritime discussions between Greece and Turkey.

Wendy Morton: The UK is in regular contact with Turkish and Greek partners to support their ongoing bilateral exploratory talks, which were held most recently on 16 March. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with Greek Foreign Minister Dendias on 2 February. Through our ongoing engagement we are encouraging the sides to continue to reduce tensions and resolve disputes through dialogue and in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as we believe this is critical for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Slovenia: Press Freedom

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Slovenian counterpart on media freedom.

Wendy Morton: Our Embassy in Ljubljana monitors media freedom in Slovenia, and officials regularly discuss media freedom and ways to build on the Global Pledge on Media Freedom with Slovenian hosts.The Foreign Secretary attended the first annual Ministerial meeting of the Media Freedom Coalition in November 2020, alongside Slovenia and other members of the Coalition. The discussion covered a range of policy options and best practices to strengthen media freedom worldwide.

Malta: Foreign Relations

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Maltese counterpart, including on the treatment of migrants.

Wendy Morton: FCDO Ministers are in regular contact with our counterparts across Europe, including in Malta. We are aware of recent press reports about ill-treatment of migrants at detention centres in Malta. On 1 February the Maltese authorities stated that they have received no reports or complaints of ill-treatment and all incidents would be referred to the police. Officials from the British High Commission routinely raise the importance of ensuring the safety and security of irregular migrants with the Maltese authorities. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue of irregular migrants and their treatment with PM Abela in May 2020, and I raised it during the UK-Malta migration dialogue in July 2020. In December 2020, representatives from the UK, Malta, Italy and the United States joined international experts in a virtual conference organised by the British High Commission and Wilton Park about organised crime and migration in the Central Mediterranean. Among the conference outcomes were recommendations to improve international law enforcement efforts to prevent human trafficking and smuggling, increase numbers of prosecutions and ensure the safety and legal protection of victims.

Germany and Russia: Natural Gas

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he raised the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in his recent discussions with his German counterpart.

Wendy Morton: The UK remains concerned about the impact Nord Stream 2 will have on European energy security and on the interests of Ukraine. We continue to be supportive of initiatives that strengthen and diversify the supply of gas and competition across the European market. We engage regularly with our close allies and partners, including Germany, to keep them abreast of our position on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and to discuss European energy security more broadly.

Developing Countries: Education

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including sanitary product provision as requirement for any girls' education programme funded by his Department.

Wendy Morton: Tackling the complex barriers to girls' education will be key to achieving 12 years of quality education for all girls. Enabling all girls who menstruate to manage their periods safely, hygienically, and with dignity, allows them to stay in school and fully participate in society. The FCDO takes an integrated approach to ending period poverty and shame, tackling the range of barriers that girls and women face in managing their periods. This includes access to products as well as safe hygiene facilities, education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and shifting social norms to tackle stigma and shame.Through the Girls' Education Challenge, and other UK aid programmes, we have supported education about periods, girls' access to sanitary products, and improvements to school sanitation facilities. We have also supported a pilot "menstruation friendly" school package in Uganda.

Developing Countries: Education

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Global Partnership for Education replenishment, when the Government plans to make public its pledge; and how much the Government plans to pledge.

Wendy Morton: The Prime Minister and President Kenyatta of Kenya will co-host the Global Education Summit: Financing GPE 2021-2025 in London in July 2021. The UK is GPE's largest bilateral donor. No decision has yet been taken on the UK's next contribution to GPE, and details will follow in due course.As co-hosts of the Summit we are using all the means at our disposal to help the Global Partnership for Education secure its five-year rolling target of up to $5 billion (2021-2026), in line with our commitment to stand up for the right of every girl around the world to gain 12 years of quality education.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he plans to make representations to the Government of Armenia on its refusal to hand over mining maps to Azerbaijan.

Wendy Morton: During my recent visit to both Armenia and Azerbaijan I highlighted UK concern over the large amount of unexploded ordnance across the region. I urged both Governments to work together to ensure that humanitarian organisations are able to have unimpeded access to the region. The UK Government will continue to work with partners to support the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan in securing stability and peace in the region and will continue to encourage both to refrain from unhelpful actions that may exacerbate the situation.

Ukraine: National Security

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Integrated Review 2021, what specific steps his Department is taking to increase Ukraine's resilience to state threats.

Wendy Morton: The UK remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In FY 2020-21 we will spend over £40m across a range of activities aimed at strengthening Ukraine's resilience against hostile state actors, including conflict stabilisation, security and defence, economic development and governance reforms. Specific activities include:Defensive, non-escalatory military training delivered through Operation ORBITAL, which has now trained over 20,000 troops and has been expanded to incorporate maritime and air capacity building. As part of this, the UK is coordinating and leading allied contributions to develop Ukraine's Navy in a multinational Maritime Training Initiative (MTI) which commenced in September 2020.Secondment of a large number of UK personnel to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, including one of the Deputy Chief Monitors.A broad range of support aimed at strengthening Ukraine's ability to counter the de-stabilising effects of disinformation, as well as develop independent media and media literacy.

Georgia: Politics and Government

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2021 to Question 164568, on Georgia: Politics and Government, whether that offer of technical support has been accepted by the Government of Georgia; and what that support would entail.

Wendy Morton: Negotiations between the Georgian Government and opposition parties continue under the mediation of EU Envoy Christian Danielsson. Judicial reform is one of the issues under discussions. Although no request for further assistance has been forthcoming, the UK Government, including through our Ambassador in Tbilisi, continues to offer assistance to the Government of Georgia, including in relation to technical support on judicial reform. We will continue to monitor events closely.

Spain: British Nationals Abroad

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on that country's approach to British Nationals who cannot leave Spain by 31 March 2021 due to accident or injury and do not have a visa to stay.

Wendy Morton: The current advice for those across the UK remains to stay at home and not travel abroad unless it is for a permitted exempt reason. Our advice to British nationals abroad is that they should follow the public health advice of the country which they are in, including current COVID-19 restrictions.Other countries maintain their own visa regimes. As of 1 January 2021, British Citizens do not need a visa when travelling to the EU for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism and similar activities. Requirements for stays beyond visa or visa free periods are subject to national procedures for each country. Any queries on applicable regimes are for the relevant immigration authorities in that country. If a British national overseas requires consular assistance, the FCDO can be contacted by phone or email 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The kind of assistance we offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case. Ministers raise specific issues of concern affecting British nationals overseas as appropriate.

Developing Countries: Maternity Services

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help improve maternal and child health throughout the world.

Wendy Morton: The UK Government remains committed to supporting maternal and child health interventions as part of our manifesto commitment to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030.Globally we are working with agencies such as the WHO, GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Financing Facility to support governments to strengthen health systems in affected countries, provide technical assistance, improve quality of care and immunise children.

Israel: BBC Arabic Service

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the compatibility of the (a) editorial line taken by the BBC’s Arabic service on matters relating to the state of Israel with (b) the Government’s foreign policy objectives.

James Cleverly: We have made no such assessment. It is not for the government to make judgements about perceived impartiality or bias at the BBC, as the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of government. This is a matter for the BBC Board.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Cost Effectiveness

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2021 to Question 143686, what further progress has been made on establishing a unit to ensure that his Department secures value for money from the defence spending settlement.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2021 to Question 143687 Ministry of Defence: Cost Effectiveness and the Prime Minister's statement of 19 November 2020 on the Integrated Review, Official report, column 499, what powers the unit will have to ensure value for money of his Department's expenditure.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2021 to Question 143688 and the Prime Minister's statement of 19 November 2020 , Official Report, column 499, how much funding from the public purse will be allocated to the unit for ensuring value for money from his Department's expenditure.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2021 to Question 143689 and the Prime Minister's statement of 19 November 2020, Official report, column 499, how many staff will be employed by the unit that will ensure value for money for his Department's expenditure.

Jeremy Quin: The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Approach to Investment Decisions (MAID) introduced changes to our approvals programmes including adopting the Treasury Green Book 3 Stage Approvals process for all Defence Investment Decisions; placing the Senior Responsible Owner-led programme at the heart of our approach and introducing the Strategic Outline case to promote early engagement and decision making. We intend to strengthen our mechanisms to challenge delivery and drive value for money. We will report the value gained from this investment through the Government’s planning and performance framework, which will measure progress towards delivering the MOD’s priority outcomes. Separately, we are also establishing the Secretary of State’s Office for Net Assessment and Challenge to ensure that we keep pace with the rapidly evolving threats we face and ensure that our strategy and force structure delivers sustained strategic advantage for the UK.

Ministry of Defence: East Africa

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Integrated Review, by what method his Department will be active in East Africa.

James Heappey: The Integrated Review has emphasised that Africa’s long-term success matters to the UK, it is in all our interests to support a strong, prosperous and peaceful Africa. The Ministry of Defence will be working closely with partners across Government to achieve the objectives set out in the Integrated Review. In East Africa specifically Ministry of Defence activity will primarily be focused on two key areas: We will work closely with Kenya, our key partner in the region, to ensure that we are able to tackle collective threats such as violent extremism and terrorism, promote regional stability and collaborate on peace support operations. Our relationship will evolve in all domains, developing plans for joint training and readiness and collective institutional development. We will develop an increased military presence to counter shared threats. Through our British Peace Support Team based in Nairobi we will build the capacity of partner nations committed to UN and Africa Union peace support operations. The Ministry of Defence will also actively contribute to action against Al Shabab, the terrorist group that poses the most direct threat to UK interests. We will work across government, with regional partners and key allies to weaken and constrain the group while supporting international community to help Somalia develop ways to provide their own security. We are providing training and advisers to the Somali National Army and liaison officers to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the UN missions. In parallel, we are increasing training for countries contributing to AMISOM. We will continue to contribute to maritime security in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean by capacity building with keys partners. We will provide support through coordination centres in Kenya, Madagascar and Seychelles. We will conduct maritime security patrols off the Horn of Africa, including that of the Carrier Strike Group later this year.

Ministry of Defence: Grants

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence,  how many (a) sixth form scholarships, (b) university bursaries and (c) other bursaries have been awarded by his Department in each of the last five years; and what the total value of those scholarships and bursaries were in each of those years.

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2021 to Question 164354 on Armed Forces: Officers, what data his Department holds on the award of (a) sixth form scholarships, (b) university bursaries and (c) other bursaries by his Department.

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March to Question 164354, if he will make it his policy to keep information centrally on the (a) number and (b) value of scholarships and bursaries awarded by the Department, and whether the recipients are  pupils or ex-pupils of (i) state and (ii) private schools.

Johnny Mercer: The Ministry of Defence keeps accurate records of the number and value of scholarships and bursaries awarded. However, the Defence Recruiting System has no field to record the status of a school i.e. state or private. This means that a determination as to school status would require every case to be manually opened and individual documents scrutinised. Awards of scholarships and bursaries are made on merit alone and the status of an applicant’s school has no bearing on the outcome of any decisions. For that reason, the Department has no plans to create a central record of the school status of recipients of scholarships and bursaries. The single Services have provided the following information on bursaries and scholarships: Naval Service:  BursariesTotal Value of BursariesDefence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS)Total value of DTUSScholarshipsTotal Value of Scholarships201716£51,50040£160,00010£10,500201817£50,50023£92,00011£16,500201917£50,50033£132,00016£24,00020203£9,50041£164,0001£1,500 Note: information from 2016 is not held.  Army: Bursaries2015-16592016-171102017-181332018-191092019-20130 Note: figures for 2016-17 are for Standard Bursary awards only. Figures for all other years also include Technical Bursary and Enhanced Bursary awards Professionally Qualified Officer (Medical) Bursaries 2016-2019 Year DoctorsDentistVetsNursesSoldier NursesTotal Awards201623121N/A27201732231N/A38201828114N/A34201930111538  Army Officer Scholarship Scheme Awards 2015-2019 YearScholarship 201561201640201737201873201959 In the time available, the Army have not been able to provide complete financial information for 2016-17 and 2017-18. In addition, all the following figures are approximate: Army Spend on Bursaries and Scholarships 2016-17 to 2019-202016-17 – £930,0002017-18 – £1.4 million2018-19 – £3 million2019-20 – £3.8 million Royal Air Force (RAF): In each of the last five Financial Years (FY, 2016-17 to 2020-21) the RAF have awarded 100 university bursaries. The total value of these bursaries in each FY was approximately £850,000 to £900,000.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 5 March 2021 from the hon. Member for Exeter on the bomb detonation in Exeter.

Mr Ben Wallace: I responded to the right hon. Member today.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many covid-19 vaccines have been delivered in the Eastern and Western Sovereign base areas of British Forces Cyprus.

James Heappey: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Defence are jointly ensuring that all entitled HMG personnel overseas receive an offer of a COVID-19 vaccine in line with JCVI guidance and national timelines, in location. Defence has delivered 1,600 vaccines to the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs). A delivery of second doses is scheduled for April. Planning is underway to provide vaccines for entitled Phase 2 individuals in the SBAs in line with UK roll-out.

Bomb Disposal: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a fund to reimburse and compensate people affected by damage caused by the recent detonation of a bomb in Exeter.

James Heappey: The provision of Government financial assistance to compensate people affected by damage associated with domestic Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) activity is a matter for the Home Office to consider and address.

Army: Recruitment

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that army recruits enlisted under the age of 18 do not have to serve for a longer minimum period than recruits enlisted as adults.

James Heappey: Army recruits enlisted before their 18th birthday have Discharge As Of Right (DAOR) conferred upon them by The Armed Forces Terms of Service Regs 2007. This enables them to leave the Army before the age of 18.At 18, they are able to make an informed choice to serve for four years in the same manner as any other joiner who is 18 or over.Under The Armed Forces Terms of Service Regulations 2007 (as amended), a soldier has the right to terminate their Regular service either four years from their date of enlistment, or four years from the point at which they turn 18, whichever is later.This means that soldiers who enlist before the age of 18 may serve longer than their counterparts who join as adults, should they choose not to exercise their right to apply for discharge prior to reaching 18.

Armed Forces: Officers

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many one star and above officer's attended state schools as a total of those currently serving in the armed forces.

Johnny Mercer: The requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Bomb Disposal: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans publish the full incident report into the recent bomb detonation in Exeter.

James Heappey: In his response to your letter of 5 March, the Secretary of State described how due to the procedurally sensitive and classified nature of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) incident reports, they are not routinely shared beyond operational partners. Publishing our render safe tactics, techniques and procedures is information that should not be made publicly available and accessible to those who might use it to mitigate our capability.

Bomb Disposal: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what alternative methods were considered for the disposal of the bomb recently unearthed in Exeter.

James Heappey: In his response to your letter of the 5 March, the Secretary of State described that whilst we do not comment on the specifics of render safe procedures (RSP) or methodology, we can confirm that the full range of RSP options were considered by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team operators and their respective chain of command.

Bomb Disposal: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of where liability lies for the damage caused by the recent detonation of a bomb in Exeter.

James Heappey: In the first instance the responsibility for costs associated with damage stemming from the bomb disposal operation in Exeter fall to private insurers. Exeter City Council have, in addition, provided support to local residents covering costs below excess levels, and to address any inconvenience associated with relocation.

Voyager Aircraft: Costs

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the flight cost per hour was for flights relating to VIP purposes A330 Voyager during the 2019-20 financial year.

Jeremy Quin: I am withholding the information requested as the release of costs per flying hour of its aircraft would prejudice Ministry of Defence commercial interests. However, Government Departments provide transparency releases on the gov.uk website concerning the costs and details of ministerial transport on a regular basis. In addition, the Royal Household publish the costs and details of Royal Travel as an Appendix to the Royal Household Annual Financial reports that are published on the royal.uk website.

Roll-on Roll-off Ships

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2021 to Question 153200, if he will publish the annual payments made under the Strategic Sealift Service Private Finance Initiative project for roll-on roll-off ferry services to date; and what estimate he has made of the annual payments that will be made for the remainder of that contract.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun on 12 October 2020 to Question 99036. The MOD pays an average annual payment of £36 million for the provision of Roll on Roll Off ferries under the Strategic Sealift Service Private Finance Initiative. This contract runs until December 2024.99036 - Roll on Roll of Ships (docx, 21.2KB)

Roll-on Roll-off Ships

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2021 to Question 153202 on Roll-on Roll-off Ships, what effect the Integrated Review will have on demand for strategic sealift capacity to 2030.

Jeremy Quin: There is a well established strategic need for the UK to be able to deploy military stores and equipment as required, globally on an assured and readily available basis. The Integrated Review has confirmed this renewed global ambition. Procurement of tonnage from 2024 onwards will be subject to the conditions of any future contract, the terms of which are yet to be determined.

Nuclear Weapons

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what additional safety measures are being considered to ensure that the decision to move to an overall nuclear weapon stockpile of no more than 260 warheads does not increase risks to the public safety of civilians in the UK.

Jeremy Quin: The UK is a responsible Nuclear Weapons State and the safety of the public is of the highest priority. We have rigorous measures in place to ensure the safety and security of our nuclear weapon stockpile, irrespective of its size. All aspects of the warhead programme and weapon stockpile are subject to a robust assurance process including regulatory oversight.

Nuclear Weapons

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many additional convoys will be required to maintain increases in stocks of nuclear weapons as a result of the Government’s decision to move to an overall nuclear weapon stockpile of no more than 260 warheads.

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has undertaken an impact assessment of any potential increase in nuclear convoy movements in the UK as a result of the Government’s decision to move to an overall nuclear weapon stockpile of no more than 260 warheads.

Jeremy Quin: It is Ministry of Defence policy that we do not comment on the operational details and requirements for convoys transporting Defence Nuclear Material, for the purpose of safeguarding national security. Convoy movements are kept to the minimum necessary to meet operational requirements and are, and will continue to be, conducted by highly trained personnel to the most rigorous safety and security standards. These are subject to a robust assurance process including regulatory oversight.

Nuclear Weapons

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Government’s decision to move to an overall nuclear weapon stockpile of no more than 260 warheads with trends away from conventional warfare towards cyber warfare.

Jeremy Quin: The UK's independent, minimum credible, nuclear deterrent exists to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, which cannot be deterred by other means. These threats have not gone away with the emergence of cyberspace as a new sphere in which to conduct hostile or disruptive activities, and the nuclear deterrent remains essential in order to guarantee our security, and that of our NATO Allies. Setting a new warhead stockpile ceiling of 260 will allow the UK to maintain the minimum destructive power required to guarantee that the UK's nuclear deterrent remains credible and effective against the full range of state nuclear threats from any direction.

Ministry of Defence: Cheadle Hulme

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what formal assessment his Department undertook prior to the removal of 300 jobs from the MOD Cheadle Hulme site at Dairy House Lane; what process was followed; how the decision was determined; what procedure was used to notify the affected individuals; what procedure was adapted regarding the notification of the hon. Member for Tatton; and what reasons the hon. Member for Tatton was not notified of that decision.

Johnny Mercer: The decision to rehome Defence Business Services (DBS), who currently occupy the Cheadle Hulme site, to new facilities was first announced in Parliament on 24 March 16 (statement UIN HCWS659). The disposal was also included in the Better Defence Estate announcement published in November 2016, which is being delivered by the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio, and letters were sent to local MPs. DEO will deliver a better structured, more economical and modern estate that more effectively supports defence capability.The intent remains to dispose of the site, and over the past year DBS has been assessing where to locate the c300 posts currently working from Cheadle Hulme as part of a workplace Programme to consolidate its three North West sites. This work continues.Trade Unions have been kept informed throughout the process, and a series of meetings have been held to inform all affected staff. These will continue, and local MPs will be notified at the conclusion of this Programme, which is currently scheduled to be in early 2022.

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to honour veterans affected by nuclear tests in Britain.

Johnny Mercer: The Government continues to be grateful to veterans who participated in the Nuclear Test Programme. The recent review by the independent Advisory Military Sub-Committee into the case for medallic recognition concluded it did not meet the level of risk and rigour generally required for the award of a campaign medal. This in no way diminishes the contribution of veterans.

Eric Denson

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made in awarding Eric Denson, a British veteran affected by nuclear testing, the Elizabeth Cross.

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason veterans whose spouse qualifies for a war pension are not automatically eligible for an Elizabeth cross medal.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will investigate the reason for the five month delay in awarding the Elizabeth Cross to Eric Denson.

Johnny Mercer: The Government continues to recognise and be grateful to all Service personnel who participated in the British nuclear testing programme, including Mr Eric Denson. They contributed to keeping our nation secure during the Cold War and since, ensuring that the United Kingdom was equipped with an appropriate nuclear capability. On 16 March 2021, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) advised Mr Denson’s widow of the outcome of her application for the Elizabeth Cross in respect of her late husband. The delay in providing this response was due to the impact of COVID-19 on the working arrangements of Departmental officials, and, in particular, the ability to access Mr Denson’s Service records from almost fifty years ago, which exist in hard copy only. Mr Denson’s widow was advised that there would be a delay in considering her application. There is no correlation between being awarded a pension under the War Pension Scheme and the criteria for the Elizabeth Cross. The Elizabeth Cross is granted to the next of kin of Service personnel who have died since 1 January 1948 on medal earning operations, as a result of an act of terrorism or on a non-medal earning operational task where death has been caused by the inherent high risk of the task. A claim considered before 6 April 2005 under the War Pensions Scheme required the award of a pension to be made unless it could be shown beyond reasonable doubt that Service had played no part in an illness or death.

Department for Work and Pensions

Young People: Unemployment

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on levels of unemployment amongst 16-24-year olds; and what assessment her Department has made of the factors that have contributed to young workers being disproportionately affected by rising unemployment during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies: From September 2020 we started the implementation of the DWP Youth Offer for all 18 to 24 year olds making a claim for Universal Credit and who are in the Intensive Work Search group. The Youth Offer is the wrap-around support programme, helping young people access so much of the positive provision stood up as part of the Plan for Jobs. This includes the Sector-based Work Academy Programmes and the Kickstart Scheme which has over 150,000 approved job placements - over 50,000 of these made available directly to young people so far via Work Coaches; and over 6,000 of these job placements have already started. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces labour market statistics from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which is a survey of people resident in households in the UK. These estimates are available on the ONS website at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/latest/relateddata This analysis is based on estimates available on the ONS website at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/12467employmentbyageindustryandoccupationuk20102015and2019

Kickstart Scheme: Applications

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,  what estimate she has made of the average length of time from Kickstart placement applications to Kickstart placement approvals.

Mims Davies: Since the launch of the Kickstart Scheme we have made changes to the assessment process to enable a quicker turnaround of applications, whilst ensuring that we continue to protect taxpayer’s money through robust and fair procedures. We have over 400 staff deployed to process and approve Kickstart applications. As of 16th March 2021, the average actual time between the issuing of a grant agreement and the time the associated application was received by the department was around 21 days. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency.

Kickstart Scheme

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2021 to Question 158103 on the Kickstart Scheme, if she will publish (a) a monthly breakdown of when the 140,000 jobs linked to the scheme were approved and (b) the timescale for those jobs being launched.

Mims Davies: There are over 150,000 approved Kickstart jobs, of which:43,000 jobs were approved between 04/02/2021 – 04/03/21;54,000 jobs were approved between 04/01/2021 – 03/02/21. The remaining 47,000 is from the start of Kickstart in September 2020 to 03/01/2021 and data is not available to break this down further. These jobs can be opened for application and started at any point up to the final jobs starting in December 2021. All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand jobs. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the ability of the Health and Safety Executive to tackle exploitation in the garment industry following a 46 per cent reduction in the budget of that organisation since 2009-10.

Mims Davies: For the financial year 2020/21, the Health and Safety Executive has been provided with an additional £19m, an increase of over 10% of their budget, to ensure that workplaces are COVID secure. HSE targets its resources to higher risk sectors or to where they have intelligence or complaints to investigate further and this latter approach targets the textile sector.

Social Security Benefits: Self-employed

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support she is providing to claimants looking to move into self-employment.

Mims Davies: The New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) supports people on eligible benefits who want to move into self-employment.It is available to:people aged 18 and over in receipt of Universal Credit and in eligible regimes;over 18s claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA);the dependent partners of JSA and ESA claimants; andIncome Support claimants who are sick or who are lone parents.

Kickstart Scheme

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultation her Department has undertaken with employers on their experience of the Kickstart scheme to date.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pension’s continues to actively engage with employers around the Kickstart Scheme. We have established Kickstart District Account Managers to enable local engagement and we continue to work closely with employers and partners at a national level, to gather insight and feedback. In response to such feedback we recently removed the threshold for 30 jobs required for a direct application to the scheme, to allow employers a choice in how they engage with Kickstart. We will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart scheme throughout its implementation

Kickstart Scheme

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to young people who are eligible but not ready for a Kickstart placement.

Mims Davies: This Government is committed to providing support to help young people move into work, as we recover from the Covid pandemic. Our Plan for Jobs continues to address youth unemployment and has been designed to deliver targeted support to those most in need and continues to adapt to a changing labour market. The Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme is available for young people aged 16-24, on Universal Credit and at risk of long term unemployment. Work Coaches refer eligible young people to Kickstart jobs and support them through the application process.The DWP Youth Offer is for all 18 to 24 year olds making a claim for Universal Credit and who are in the Intensive Work Search (IWS) group. As part of this, the 13-week Youth Employment Programme, which focuses on referring young people to the most appropriate support. This could include Kickstart placements, but also Sector-based Work Academy Programmes, traineeships, work experience, Mentoring Circles or apprenticeships.Youth Hubs are co-located and co-delivered with our network of external partners, for those young people who need support with any skills gaps to bring them closer to labour market opportunities. DWP Youth Employability Coaches across the country are flexibly supporting young people with significant complex needs and barriers to help them move into employment.

Children: Maintenance

Tom Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure prompt action on missed child maintenance payments to avoid the accrual of large arrears.

Guy Opperman: Where someone fails to pay on time or in full, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will contact the parent concerned and aim to re-establish compliance to avoid the build-up of arrears. The CMS also has a range of strong enforcement powers, which can be used to to ensure children receive the financial support they deserve.

Apprentices

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on implementation of the recommendations of the Paul Maynard taskforce on inclusive apprenticeships published in July 2016.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government accepted all 14 recommendations put forward by the Maynard taskforce and have introduced legislation which allows for the minimum English and Maths requirements for apprenticeships to be adjusted for people with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to entry level 3. We remain committed to ensuring that more people from underrepresented backgrounds undertake and achieve an apprenticeship and benefit from their progression opportunities.

Department for Work and Pensions: Written Questions

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to answer Questions 160680, 163701, and 164496 on Employment: Coronavirus tabled by the hon. Member for Middlesbrough.

Mims Davies: These PQs were answered on 16 March (164496) and 18 March (160680, 163701).

Jobcentres: Forres

Douglas Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support she is providing to Forres Job Centre to further assist unemployed people.

Douglas Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,  what support she is providing to Elgin Job Centre to further assist unemployed people.

Douglas Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support she is providing to Buckie Job Centre to further assist unemployed people.

Mims Davies: Through our Plan for Jobs, the Department is providing broad ranging support for all jobseekers. Currently, support includes the Kickstart scheme, Job Finding Support, Sector Based Work Academy Programmes and Job Entry Targeted Support in Scotland. In addition, the government is investing an additional £150 million into the Flexible Support Fund, which will increase the capacity of the Rapid Response Service, supporting people through redundancy and providing additional local support to claimants by removing barriers to work such as travel expenses for attending interviews and child care. Our Jobcentre Work Coaches provide support on finding a job, help with retraining or skills advice, CV, job applications and access to the new vacancies we record every day, as well as signposting to our Jobhelp website. To date, in Scotland, the Department has recruited 823 Work Coaches since March 2020, bringing the total number of Work Coaches in Scotland to 2,255. Within the Morayshire Cluster (Forres, Elgin and Buckie Jobcentres) six new Work Coaches have joined team with a further six due to start shortly. The Morayshire Cluster works closely with the Moray Pathways which is a consortium of partners and providers across Moray offering customers skills, training, employment support. We deliver a multi-agency service to support our younger customers move forward towards employment from the Moray Community Hub.

Personal Independence Payment

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of claimants for personal independence payment that are on a fixed term award in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Wirral and (d) Wallasey constituency.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment: Coronavirus

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payments claimants previously awarded a fixed term award have had their claim stopped due to a backlog of claims as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on trends in the level of universal credit uptake amongst 16-24 year olds in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Mims Davies: The available information on the number of people on Universal Credit, by Parliamentary Constituency and other geographical breakdown and by age, is published monthly and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department plans to take to identify universal credit and employment support allowance claimants who cannot be assessed by telephone or video as a result of their health condition; and what steps she is taking to determine the priority for face-to-face assessments when such assessments can safely resume in the event that her Department is unable to provide data on the number of (a) universal credit and (b) employment support allowance claimants who were not (i) offered and (ii) deemed suitable for a virtual or telephone work capability assessment during 2020.

Justin Tomlinson: We have continued to assess people on paper evidence, using this route whenever possible throughout the pandemic. In June 2020 we introduced telephone assessments in a phased approach with limited outcomes in the first instance. This allowed us to build our capability and improve processes. From the beginning of February 2021, all outcomes have been available in telephone assessments which enables us to ensure that claimants receive their correct benefit entitlement as quickly as possible and reduce the time claimants who may be entitled to a higher award have to wait for their assessment. We are also undertaking some video assessments where appropriate. Through our enhanced capability and improved processes for telephone assessments, we are now able to carry out a second telephone assessment for those claimants who have previously had a telephone assessment with no outcome.Where a claimant is unable to undertake a telephone or video assessment because of their health condition, they remain on their current award until we are able to gather the evidence needed for a recommendation to be made or, in contributory ESA, until their benefit is due to end.Claimants who we are unable to assess by telephone or video because of their health condition will be prioritised when we are able to safely resume face-to-face assessments.

Disability: Coronavirus

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the proposal of Scope for an emergency support package to protect disabled people, published on 18 January 2021.

Justin Tomlinson: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 09 February to question number 149299.

Universal Credit: Work Capability Assessment

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many remote work capability assessment decisions have been made for people who had been on universal credit prior to the covid-19 outbreak and who had attended a work capability assessment previously since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many remote work capability assessment decisions took place for first-time universal credit claimants in each month of 2020.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Self-employed

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her policy is on re-introducing the minimum income floor for self-employed universal credit claimants.

Mims Davies: After careful consideration of the ongoing public health situation, the temporary suspension of the minimum income floor (MIF) for UC self-employed claimants has been extended to the end of July 2021. Gainful self-employment tests and the MIF, where applicable, will be gradually reintroduced from August, at which time Work Coaches will be given discretion to further suspend the MIF to ensure that those claimants who continue to be severely affected by covid-19 restrictions can be supported on a case-by-case basis.

Kickstart Scheme

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March to Question 167206 and 167207, how many kickstart placements (a) have started and (b) are currently advertised as vacancies via Jobcentres in each constituency.

Mims Davies: I refer the honourable member to the answer given for PQ 157063. Over 150,000 jobs have been approved for the Department of Work and Pensions’ Kickstart scheme. Over 50,000 of these jobs have been made available for young people, including almost 6,000 jobs started.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal and Plant Health Agency: Inspections

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the cost for Plant Health Agency inspections.

Victoria Prentis: It is important that plant health services are properly financed in order to provide assurance for the high standard of UK exports of plants and produce and to protect our nation’s biosecurity. In line with HM Treasury rules, Defra recovers the cost of plant health services delivered by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) from the businesses who use them. Defra regularly reviews its fees to ensure they are reflective of the cost of delivery and that they do not over-recover. Cost data is collected on an ongoing basis and fee changes are based on the actual costs recorded over at least 12 months. Defra completed the most recent annual review of fees in December 2020. The review showed that the cost base had remained stable across plant health services. In 2019/20 the cost base for delivery of plant health services was £5.796m, an increase of only 0.5% on the 2018/19 cost base of £5.768m. Given this stability, Defra decided not to amend the existing fees until October 2022, to give businesses certainty over costs for 18 months.

Poultry: Salmonella

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help ensure that chicken and chicken products containing salmonella is not imported to the UK.

Victoria Prentis: Both Defra and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) take this matter extremely seriously. We do not consider it acceptable for the UK to be sent poultry products contaminated with salmonella.Following investigations linking human illness to the consumption of chicken products imported from Poland, the UK Chief Veterinary Officer wrote to the Chief Veterinary Officer of Poland in December 2020 asking that action be taken.The Chief Veterinary Officer and the Chief Executive of the FSA have also contacted the Director General of Agriculture and Food Safety for the European Commission to raise our concerns and reiterate the need for action.Additionally, the FSA has been working closely with Food Businesses Operators, including the major retailers, brand owners and trade associations within the UK, and with Polish competent authorities, to track down contaminated chicken products and ensure product withdrawals and recalls are undertaken when unsafe and non-compliant food has been identified.Whilst we are working constructively with the European Commission, Polish authorities and suppliers to resolve this issue, we are keeping the possibility of the introduction of import restrictions under continual review, to ensure that UK consumers can maintain their trust in the safety of the food on their plates.

Waste Disposal: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2021 to Question 160671, how much funding has been allocated through the Waste and Resources Action Programme grant scheme to local authorities in the UK.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2021 to Question 160671, how many local authorities in Yorkshire and the Humber region have applied for grant funding through the Waste and Resources Action Programme grant scheme.

Rebecca Pow: The Litter Binfrastructure Grant, provides local authorities in England with the opportunity to apply for capital grants of £10,000-£25,000 to support the purchase of new litter bins. The scheme which, is managed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and funded by Defra, was open from 17th December 2020 until 10th March 2021. 77 applications were received in total, and £983,000 has been awarded to local authorities across 44 grants.Six applications were received from local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber region, as follows:North Lincolnshire CouncilBradford Metropolitan District CouncilLeeds City CouncilRichmondshire District CouncilNorth East Lincolnshire CouncilBarnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Export Health Certificates

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether export costs have increased and revenue has been lost due to the time taken to resolve export health certificate administrative problems for products of animal origin at Border Control Posts; and what plans he has to speed up the UK’s administrative processes to make the delivery of goods to the EU more efficient for UK distributors.

Victoria Prentis: We do not routinely track the costs of export certification, which is a commercial matter between certifiers and exporters. We have always been clear that new processes would apply for exports of products of animal origin to the EU, from 01 January 2021. Before then we introduced efficiency measures for exporters, including guidance for logistics hubs and consolidation of loads. These measures have reduced exporters’ administrative requirements and through consolidation the total number of export health certificates required for EU exports. We are working to improve the online process of applying for export heath certificates to reduce errors and speed up certification.

Pesticides: Exports

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many exports of pesticides banned in the UK have been supplied to (a) India and (b) other regions in the last two years; and what plans he has to prohibit exports of (a) Paraquet and (b) other pesticides that are banned in the UK to India.

Victoria Prentis: The export of non-approved or severely restricted pesticides is regulated under the Great Britain Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals must notify the importing country via the exporter’s Designated National Authority. If a chemical is restricted for one use (for example use as a pesticide) all exports will be covered by PIC even if the export will in fact be used for a purpose that is not subject to restrictions. The exchange of information under PIC helps importing countries to make informed decisions on the import, handling and use of those chemicals for their specific circumstances. Some information on exports in previous years can be found on the website of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), although this does not include all the detail requested. Defra does not hold this information.

Food: Transport

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations he has received from food producers and food industry bodies in Great Britain on the grouped transport of food and food products from multiple producers to the EU.

Victoria Prentis: Prior to the end of transition period we took steps to ensure that groupage exports could continue post January 1st. This included supporting the development of logistics hubs and the introduction of the Groupage Export Facilitation Scheme for exporters of certain products of animal origin from stable supply chains, packaged for the final consumer. These are generally working well. We are aware of challenges experienced by exporters of mixed loads of products of animal origin and other commodities from different exporting premises. We have already published guidance on groupage models that can support movements of these loads to Northern Ireland and are working with the European Commission and EU Member States to make similar guidance available for GB-EU Exports. As part of this we are in regular contact with both the haulage industry and trade associations.

Fish: Sales

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to buy British-caught fish.

Victoria Prentis: The Government is committed to supporting our seafood and fishing industries across the UK, including through growing domestic demand for our high-quality UK seafood.Defra is partnering with Seafish (the public body that supports the UK seafood industry) to deliver the Love Seafood campaign to promote the domestic consumption of fish and shellfish. The Love Seafood campaign will run throughout this spring and aims to support the fisheries industry by encouraging people to buy and eat more UK caught seafood and will feature in national and regional press titles, regional radio, and on social media across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Animal Products: Exports

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness of the process and (b) adequacy of support available for obtaining model EHCs for exports of animal by-products to third countries; and what steps he plans to take to speed up the process for opening up new trading routes for those products.

Victoria Prentis: Since leaving the EU, we are an independent trading nation and we will use our voice to champion free trade and lower barriers to trade.In line with these ambitions, I am pleased to confirm that there is an established process for obtaining model Export Health Certificates (EHCs) for exports of animal by-products. Agreed EHCs for all commodities can be obtained from GOV.UK. Applicants can use the website to search, view and apply for the relevant Export Health Certificate to facilitate trade in their commodity.In addition to this, some Export Health Certificates are even more accessible, and can be applied for via the EHC online system which reduces some of the manual procedures previously in place. This process is under iterative review in order to ensure improvements can be made for the future.

Food: Transport

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations he has received from food producers and food industry bodies in Great Britain on the grouped transport of food and food products from multiple producers to Northern Ireland.

Victoria Prentis: Defra receives regular representations from industry and meets regularly with the food industry and other stakeholders to discuss transporting food into Northern Ireland and will continue to do.Defra Ministers meet weekly with representative bodies within the food industry in addition to major producers and retailers. In addition, there are weekly official level meetings with the major supermarkets and distributors covering food supply into Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Directorate within Defra is focusing its work on removing any real or perceived barriers to food supply.

Fisheries: Iceland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to increase fishing opportunities for UK fishing organisations in Icelandic waters ahead of full ratification of the trade continuity agreement between the UK and Iceland.

Victoria Prentis: The UK has not held fishing opportunities in Icelandic waters for many years. Nevertheless, we remain open to the possibility of securing fishing opportunities in Icelandic waters, should the conditions be appropriate. The UK and Iceland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on enhancing cooperation within fisheries on 11 November 2020. We are currently developing plans to hold the first Fisheries Dialogue envisaged by that MoU later in 2021.

Home Office

Slavery

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's response to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration's Report on modern slavery published 4 March 2021, what the proposed timescale is for the review accepted in Recommendation One; and when its findings will be published.

Kevin Foster: The UK is regarded as a world-leader for its response to modern slavery.The UK response is underpinned by the Modern Slavery Strategy 2014 and the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the first legislation of its kind in the world. The Government remains committed to tackling this crime.We are currently considering how to take forward the review of roles and responsibilities of operational partners in Border Force, IE, UKVI and NCA. Findings will be shared with the BICS Board and Home Office ExCo, before being shared with partner agencies and communicated as appropriate.

Slavery

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recommendation two of her Department's response to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration's Report on modern slavery published 4 March 2021, what the proposed timescale is for delivering new BICS specific guidance on the identification, reporting and pursuit of perpetrators of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Kevin Foster: The BICs guidance on the identification, reporting and pursuit of perpetrators of modern slavery and human trafficking is being drafted.The guidance will be shared with the BICS Board and Home Office ExCo, before being shared with partner agencies, and communicated as appropriate in due course.

Slavery

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recommendation four in her Department's response to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration's Report on modern slavery published 4 March 2021, what the proposed timescale is for providing details of key findings, clarifying roles and responsibilities and streamlining governance on organised immigration crime; and when details of the new streamlined governance will be published.

Kevin Foster: The 4 March 2021 ICIBI report on modern slavery and human trafficking refers, in a Note to Section 4.1, to Recommendation 1 of the March 2020 ICIBI report on in-country clandestine arrivals and irregular migrants arriving via "small boats”. This recommendation proposed a “fundamental review of the Borders, Immigration and Citizenship System’s criminal investigation and prosecution capabilities and capacity”.The Government response, published in November 2020, partially accepted the recommendation, and undertook to take the findings of the March 2020 ICIBI inspection fully into account alongside the findings of the Independent Review of Serious and Organised Crime (IRSOC), led by Sir Craig Mackey QPM, when working with partners, including the National Crime Agency.Significant changes in the governance and delivery of organised immigration crime have already been implemented. The November 2020 Government response noted both the Illegal Migration Strategy Board and the Clandestine Threat Board have been established since the ICIBI March 2020 report was issued, with the Clandestine Channel Threat Command now in place.The Government undertaking to provide “details of key findings” relates to the IRSOC. The Government published the key findings of the IRSOC on 16th March, alongside the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. The Integrated Review sets out our priorities for strengthening our response to serious and organised crime following the IRSOC.

Internet: Fraud

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress the Joint Fraud Taskforce has made on tackling online scams; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: The Government is committed to tackling all forms of crime, including those which exploit technology and the internet. The Government continues to work alongside various industries to close down vulnerabilities and prevent fraud that occurs both online and offline. We are also considering all routes to ensure law enforcement have the tools they need to go after these criminals and to protect the vulnerable.Our efforts to tackle online scams have been ramping up, including working with the National Cyber Security Centre to establish a new Suspicious Email Reporting Service which was launched in April 2020. This service allows the public to report potential scams safely and effectively. As of 28 February 2021, the number of reports received stand at more than 5,000,000 with the removal of more than 36,000 scams and 71,000 URLs.We are currently in the process of reforming the Joint Fraud Taskforce to reinvigorate the forum to expand our public-private partnership approach, as outlined in the Economic Crime Plan. The refreshed board, chaired at Ministerial level, will have an expanded membership to involve a wider network of stakeholders in our fraud prevention activity.

Seasonal Workers

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the affordability of short-stay visa and work permits for UK citizens who perform temporary seasonal tourism work in the EU.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office is responsible for setting the immigration policy for those who wish to travel for work purposes to the UK and not those who seek to travel for work purposes to other countries. Hence we do not assess the immigration policies relating to seasonal work set by foreign Governments.

Immigration

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Leave to Remain family and private life applications were processed within six months in (a) 2019 and (b) 2020.

Kevin Foster: Family and Private Life leave to remain applications are captured as part of the data referred to as “HR Complex” here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-protection-data-february-2021Family and Private Life applications are not currently subject to a service standard; this is due to their complexity, relying as they tend to on human rights claims. Each application is considered carefully on its own individual merits and with reference to the supporting documents provided.

Asylum: Penally Camp

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people being moved elsewhere from Penally barracks have (a) an adequate supply of prescription medication and (b) their medical records transferred; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that those involved in the care of asylum seekers are informed in sufficient time of where they are being transferred to so that such arrangements for continuity of medical treatment can be made.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office and its accommodation provider Clearsprings Ready Homes (CRH) is working closely with the partners at Hywel Dda Health Board, to ensure steps can be taken to ensure they have enough medication and continuity of care is maintained.Transfers from Penally have taken place for several weeks to longer-term dispersal accommodation and well-developed relationships are in place to ensure receiving health boards are aware of new arrivals to their area.

Knives: Crime

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of knife crime.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities, and tackling knife crime is a priority. Across England and Wales, we are recruiting 20,000 additional police officers and increasing the amount of funding available to the policing system for 2021/22 by up to £636 million, totalling £15.8 billion.Over the last two years we have invested a total of £176.5 million through the serious violence fund to address the causes of serious violence and to bolster the police response in police force areas most effected by serious violence across England and Wales. We have set up Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in the 18 worst-affected local areas. VRUs bring together police, local government, health and education professionals, community leaders and other key partners to identify the drivers of serious violence, to help them to implement a long term, multi-agency approach, to stop violence from happening in the first place.We have committed a further £130.5m to tackle serious violence and homicide in 21/22, including funding for targeted policing and interventions to protect young people from involvement in violence.We have also invested £200 million through the 10-Year Youth Endowment Fund to ensure those most at risk are given the opportunity to turn away from violence and lead positive lives. We also continue to strengthen the law on knife crime and serious violence. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 introduced Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPO). These preventative orders enable the courts to place positive intervention requirements as well as other measures including prohibition to carry a knife on individuals to help the police steer those most at risk away from serious violence and to set them on a more positive path. Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) have been introduced in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill and will give the police powers to make it easier to stop and search those already convicted of knife and offensive weapon offences. We have also introduced legislation which will place new duties on a range of specified agencies across different sectors, such as local government, youth offending, and health and probation, to work collaboratively, share data and information, and put in place plans to prevent and reduce serious violence.

Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships: Fraud

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of fraud or forgery in relation to the registration of (a) births, (b) marriages and (c) deaths have been identified in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office collects information on the number of fraud and forgery offences from the police in England and Wales but cases relating to the registration of births, marriages and deaths are not separately identifiable.

North Wales Police: Finance

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much central government funding, in real terms , has been allocated to North Wales Police in each year for which data is available.

Kit Malthouse: The amount of central funding the Government has allocated to North Wales Police during the annual settlement process is as follows: Central government funding (including capital) for North Wales Police (£m)2021/222020/212019/202018/192017/1886.482.275.372.272.2 While the majority of funding for the police comes directly from the central Government grants, around a third comes from a share of council tax, known as the police precept. This is not included in the above figures.The responsibility for setting the precept falls on individual PCCs, and they must consult their local electorate to ensure they explain how additional investment will help deliver a better police service.This Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2021/22 (publishing.service.gov.uk) explains the full allocation of police core settlement for 2021/22.

Aerials: Planning Permission

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which local authorities have received planning applications for emergency services communications masts as part of the Emergency Services Network roll out.

Kit Malthouse: The Emergency Services Network (ESN) is being built by EE, by upgrading their existing network. This includes building over 650 additional 4G radio masts across this country, as part of their contractual obligations to ensure coverage on 218,000km of major and minor roads. In addition to the masts built by EE, the Home Office is building a further 292 masts in the most remote and rural areas of Britain. This set of masts is referred to as ‘Extended Area Services’ (EAS) within ESN. The Home Office does not hold details of planning permission for ESN masts that form part of EE’s contracted ESN coverage. This response is limited to providing information with regards to the EAS sites that are being built by the Home Office. Planning applications have been submitted by the following local authorities: Angus Council; Argyll and Bute Council; Brecon Beacons National Park; Cairngorms National Park; Carlisle City Council; Carmarthenshire County Council; Ceredigion County Council; Conwy County Borough Council; Dartmoor National Park; Denbighshire County Council; Dumfries and Galloway; Dumfries and Galloway Council; East Lothian Council; Exmoor National Park, Highland Council; Lake District National Park; Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park; Monmouthshire County Council; North Ayrshire Council; North York Moors National Park; Northumberland County Council; Northumberland National Park; Orkney Islands Council; Peak District National Park; Perth and Kinross; Powys County Council; Scottish Borders; Scottish Borders Council; Shropshire Council; Snowdonia National Park; South Ayrshire Council; South Lakeland District Council; Teignbridge District Council; Wrexham; Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Aerials: Planning Permission

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which local authorities have approved planning applications for emergency services communications masts as part of the Emergency Services Network roll out.

Kit Malthouse: The Emergency Services Network (ESN) is being built by EE, by upgrading their existing network. This includes building over 650 additional 4G radio masts across this country, as part of their contractual obligations to ensure coverage on 218,000km of major and minor roads. In addition to the masts built by EE, the Home Office is building a further 292 masts in the most remote and rural areas of Britain. This set of masts is referred to as ‘Extended Area Services’ (EAS) within ESN. The Home Office does not hold details of planning permission for ESN masts that form part of EE’s contracted ESN coverage. This response is limited to providing information with regards to the EAS sites that are being built by the Home Office. Planning applications have been approved by the following local authorities: Angus Council; Argyll and Bute Council; Brecon Beacons National Park; Cairngorms National Park; Carlisle City Council; Carmarthenshire County Council; Ceredigion County Council; Conwy County Borough Council; Dartmoor National Park; Denbighshire County Council; Dumfries and Galloway; Dumfries and Galloway Council; East Lothian Council; Exmoor National Park, Highland Council; Lake District National Park; Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park; Monmouthshire County Council; North Ayrshire Council; North York Moors National Park; Northumberland County Council; Northumberland National Park; Orkney Islands Council; Peak District National Park; Perth and Kinross; Powys County Council; Scottish Borders; Scottish Borders Council; Shropshire Council; Snowdonia National Park; South Ayrshire Council; South Lakeland District Council; Teignbridge District Council; Wrexham; Yorkshire Dales National Park. Please note that whilst the above local authorities have already approved some planning applications, there may also be planning applications pending approval with the same local authorities where the Home Office is building multiple ESN EAS sites within the same local authority boundary.

Asylum: Penally Camp

Jonathan Edwards: What discussions she has had with Dyfed Powys Police on the cost of policing the asylum seeker accommodation in Penally.

Kevin Foster: Any police force facing significant additional costs due to unplanned or unexpected events can apply for additional funding from the Police Special Grant.  Dyfed Powys Police made an application, and we will be providing them with up to £2.5m of additional funding.Penally has provided emergency capacity in response to pressures put on the asylum estate during COVID. As pressures have eased, we have decided not to extend emergency planning permission beyond this month.

Migrants: Finance

Nadia Whittome: What assessment she has made of the effect on people of the No Recourse to Public Funds condition applied to immigration status.

Chris Philp: Migrants coming to the UK are expected to maintain and support themselves and their families without posing a burden on the welfare system.The Home Office has published its policy equality statement on the impact of the No Recourse to Public Funds policy on migrants on the human rights route.Migrants with leave under certain routes can apply to lift their NRPF condition.

Police: Coronavirus

Stephen Morgan: What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of police resources during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kit Malthouse: Throughout the pandemic we have worked with all police forces to understand the pressures they are experiencing as a result of COVID-19. As a result, we have ensured the police have the resources they need to enforce COVID-19 regulations and continue to keep the public safe.The total amount of additional funding made available to forces since the start of the pandemic is nearly £200 million.

Asylum

Scott Benton: What steps her Department is taking to simplify asylum (a) claims and (b) appeals.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office is working to transform the broken asylum system and processes: the work will simplify, streamline and digitise processes, ensuring that genuine asylum claimants are treated quickly, fairly and are supported; and those who do not qualify are rapidly identified and prepared for return.As part of this programme of work, the Home Office is working collaboratively with HMCTS on their ambitious programme of court reform.

Pets: Theft

Dr Luke Evans: What steps her Department is taking to reduce pet theft.

Kit Malthouse: The Government recognises the distress pet theft causes.It is for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to determine how to tackle this crime. The Government’s role is ensuring police forces have sufficient resources to respond to the challenges they face.We have committed to recruit an extra 20,000 police officers by March 2023, with over 6,000 already in place.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Stephen Flynn: What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the temporary accommodation provided by her Department for asylum seekers.

Kevin Foster: Contingency accommodation - whether this be hotels across the United Kingdom or at the Napier barracks and Penally training camp - was set up in response to the enormous pressures placed on our asylum system by the coronavirus pandemic.We expect the highest standards from providers and have instructed them to make improvements as part of our contract governance and following inspections, an independent audit and the interim report from the Independent Chief Inspector.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Michael Fabricant: What steps her Department is taking to prevent migrants from unlawfully crossing the English Channel; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Philp: The danger to life from channel crossings and the criminal activity they fund is simply unacceptable.Journeys are often illegally-facilitated and totally unnecessary, France is a safe country with a fully functioning asylum system.We are working tirelessly to make this route unviable.We are also introducing legislation to fix our broken asylum system and create a fairer and firmer system.

Drugs: Organised Crime

Rachel Hopkins: What steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable children from county lines drugs networks.

Victoria Atkins: We are determined to roll up county lines and protect vulnerable children from this harmful form of exploitation.Through our £25m county lines programme we have already seen 3,400 people arrested, more than 550 lines closed and more than 770 vulnerable people safeguarded.We have also increased investment in dedicated one-to-one support for county lines victims and their families.

Drugs: Organised Crime

Mick Whitley: What steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable children from county lines drugs networks.

Victoria Atkins: Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to group this question with question 31.We are determined to roll up county lines and protect vulnerable children from this harmful form of exploitation.Through our £25m county lines programme we have already seen 3,400 people arrested, more than 550 lines closed and more than 770 vulnerable people safeguarded.We have also increased investment in dedicated one-to-one support for county lines victims and their families.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the deadline for EU citizens applying for settled status in response to difficulties in renewing passports and national identity cards during the covid-19 pandemic.

Kevin Foster: We have continued to receive and process thousands of applications a day to the scheme throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 5.1 million applications received and more than 4.8 million applications concluded by 28 February 2021. There are no plans to extend the deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).Support for applicants who need it has remained available, including from the network of 72 organisations across the UK grant-funded by the Home Office to help vulnerable people apply to the EUSS.Published guidance for EUSS applicants on the impact of COVID-19, including the scope for them to provide alternative evidence of identity and nationality if they do not have a valid passport or national identity card, is available at:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-eu-settlement-scheme-guidance-for-applicants.In line with the Withdrawal Agreement, the Government has been clear, where a person has reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK by the end of the transition period, they will be given a further opportunity to apply.Non-exhaustive guidance will be published in the near future on what constitutes such reasonable grounds, to underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the EUSS.

Migrants: Coronavirus

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine to people awaiting determination of their asylum, visa and immigration applications.

Kevin Foster: The Department for Health and Social Care took early steps to ensure diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 is free for all, including anyone living in the UK without permission.Distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to people awaiting determination of their asylum, visa and immigration applications is therefore not a matter for the Home Office.

Asylum: Military Bases

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to close Penally and Napier Barracks as asylum accommodation.

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take in response to the findings of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration's inspection on contingency asylum accommodation.

Kevin Foster: Penally has provided emergency capacity in response to pressures put on the asylum estate during the pandemic. As those pressures have eased, we have decided not to extend emergency planning permission beyond six months and moved all remaining asylum seekers from the site on 21 March. Napier Barracks will remain in operation in accordance with current needs.The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration announced an inspection of contingency asylum accommodation on 25 January 2021. The Home Office acknowledges the ICIBI’s decision to publish the initial findings from site visits to Napier Barracks and Penally.The ICIBI’s inspection continues and a full inspection report will follow.The duration of the inspection is a matter for the ICIBI and upon its conclusion, following standard procedure set out in the UK Borders Act 2007, the Department will issue a formal response alongside the inspection report as it is laid before Parliament and published on Gov.UK

Asylum: Penally Camp

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has for providing residents at Penally Barracks with alternative accommodation when it is returned to the Ministry of Defence on 21 March 2021.

Kevin Foster: Following the announcement on 16 March 2021 of the closure of Penally, the Home Office has been working closely with its accommodation provider Clearsprings Ready Homes (CRH) to ensure all people leaving Penally had safe, suitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to move to on transfer from Penally prior to closure.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been received under the EU Settlement Scheme in (a) each of the last 12 months and (b) total.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been granted Settled Status in (a) each of the last 12 months and (b) total under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been granted pre-settled status in (a) each of the last 12 months and (b) total under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of applications to the EU Settlement Scheme in (a) each of the last 12 months and (b) total have been granted settled status.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of applications to the EU Settlement Scheme in (a) each of the last 12 months and (b) total have been granted pre-settled status.

Kevin Foster: Total applications and conclusions by month up to December 2020 can be found in table EUSS_MON available at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964547/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-tables-28-august-2018-to-31-december-2020.ods.The latest top-level monthly figures can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics

Asylum: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the National Transfer Scheme will restart; and when the outcome of the review of that scheme will be published.

Chris Philp: The National Transfer Scheme never stopped. I am very grateful for the ongoing assistance of many local authorities. In 2020, the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) placed 480 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children into local authority placements across the UK.We recently consulted on a more sustainable long-term future model for the NTS designed to ensure unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are placed in an equitable and fair manner in local authorities across the UK.I am grateful to local authorities for their thoughtful and considered consultation responses. We received over 200 responses, including some which captured the views and experiences of young people. It is crucial that we get the new scheme right. We are carefully considering the responses and working through the issues raised with local government partners. We are aiming to deliver the new scheme as soon as possible.

Detention Centres: Durham

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what ratio of male to female staff members will be put in place at the new Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre in response to its planned use to detain only women.

Chris Philp: Our Detention Centre Rules are designed to ensure the rights and safety of those in detention are our foremost priority and we expect the highest standards from our contractors in this regard. This includes mandatory gender-specific training for those working with women in detention.The workforce requirements for the new Hassockfield immigration removal centre (IRC) will reflect the lessons learned from detaining women at Yarl’s Wood IRC and will include a ratio of female to male custodial staff that is appropriate for the specifics needs of women in detention.

Illegal Migration Strategy Board

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who sits on the Illegal Migration Strategy Board; and when it plans to publish reports of its activities.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who sits on the Clandestine Threat Board; and when it plans to publish reports on its activities.

Chris Philp: The Illegal Migration Strategy Board and the Clandestine Threat Board direct the Home Office’s strategic and operational response to illegal migration. The groups are accountable to the Home Secretary and form part of the overall governance arrangements within the department. Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the hostile environment policy on the rollout of the covid-19 vaccine.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine to UK residents with no recourse to public funds.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of granting (a) undocumented migrants, (b) people with no recourse to public funds, and (c) people awaiting determination of their asylum, visa and immigration applications indefinite leave to remain to help ensure a complete roll-out of the covid-19 vaccine.

Chris Philp: The COVID-19 vaccine is available free of charge to anyone living in the UK, including those here without permission. If they are registered with a GP practice, they will be invited for the vaccine at the appropriate time based on the prioritisation set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.If they are not registered with a GP, they will still be able to receive the vaccine under the GP COVID-19 vaccination programme 2020/21 Enhanced Service Specification. More information can be found here:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/12/C0917-Covid-19-Enhanced-Service-ES-Specification-1-December-2020.pdf The Home Office is supporting the Department for Health and Social Care’s approach to ensure we are reaching as many people as possible.A condition of No Recourse of Public Funds does not have a bearing on a person’s access to healthcare or the COVID-19 vaccine.In light of the availability of the COVID-19 vaccination for all UK residents, including those who are undocumented, we have no plans to grant immigration leave for this purpose.

Detention Centres: Durham

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what planning permissions are required in relation to the new Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre; and whether those permissions have been obtained.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of detainees’ ability to access appropriate legal advice in the area surrounding the new Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training will be provided to staff at the new Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre in response to its planned use to detain only women.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for around 80 women by the autumn. Initial discussions with the planning authority at Durham Country Council have taken place and given the site’s previous history as a custody facility, planning designation for the site does not need to change in order to operate as an IRC.People who are detained must be advised of their right to legal representation and of how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of their arrival at an IRC. The Home Office recognise the importance of ensuring that such legal advice can be easily obtained by those in detention and we will be working closely with the Legal Aid Agency to ensure appropriate legal provision at the site.The rights of all detained individuals, including women, are safeguarded by the Detention Centre Rules, published Operating Standards for IRCs and individuals under escort and Detention Services Orders (DSO).The training requirements for Home Office, custodial service provider and healthcare staff at Hassockfield IRC will be equivalent to those for Yarl’s Wood IRC. As set out in published DSO 06/2016 ‘women in the detention estate’, all staff working with women must receive appropriate gender specific training (such as the protocol for entry to bedrooms), in addition to any generic training they receive when they undergo initial training. Appropriate refresher training should be undertaken, to include equality and diversity, human trafficking and modern slavery.

Migrants: Finance

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the cost to local authorities of supporting households with no recourse to public funds.

Chris Philp: The Government has provided unprecedented support of over £8 billion of funding to local authorities in England to help councils manage the impacts of COVID-19 and respond to the spending pressures they are facing, including £4.6 billion which is not ringfenced. Funding provided to local authorities under the COVID-19 emergency response will be paid through a grant, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how this funding is spent. The Government has also provided additional funding of nearly £19 billion for the devolved administrations under the Barnett formula as part of the wider government response. More information on the support available to migrants during the pandemic, including those with No Recourse to Public Funds, can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-get-support-if-youre-a-migrant-living-in-the-uk.

Undocumented Migrants: Coronavirus

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine to undocumented migrants.

Chris Philp: For public health protection, it is very important people are not deterred from seeking treatment for COVID-19. The Department for Health and Social Care took early steps to ensure diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 is free for all, including anyone living in the UK without permission. As such, progress on administering the COVID-19 vaccine to illegal immigrants is not a matter for the Home Office

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Social Rented Housing: Portsmouth

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of local authority homes in Portsmouth that meet the decent homes standard.

Christopher Pincher: The Department does not collect data on the number of local authority homes that meet the Decent Homes Standard. The Department publishes annual figures on the number of local authority-owned dwellings which have been identified as non-decent in the local authority housing statistics data collection, available : https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-housing-data.

Fire Extinguishers

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of new fire extinguishing technologies, such as internal ventilation systems, to delay or prevent fires from spreading.

Christopher Pincher: The Government continues to assess new and emerging fire protection technologies through both ongoing industry engagement and through participation in the development of standards (e.g. the British Standards Institution committee FSH/18 - fixed fire-fighting systems).

Housing: Fire Prevention

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has made in response to the potential future identification of residential buildings being found not to be fire safe.

Christopher Pincher: Through the Building Safety Bill, the Fire Safety Bill and changes to the Fire Safety Order, we are proposing a package of legislative changes that are going to ensure the problems identified with the current building and fire safety regime are rectified and residents are safe.To focus the regime on risk, the intention is the scope of the new building safety regime will start with residential buildings with rates of fire which are considerably higher: apartment blocks over 18m. The new building regime is designed to be flexible, and to follow a proportionate, risk-based approach that keeps the scope of the regime under review by the new building safety regulator.The building safety regulator will also have wide responsibilities for overseeing the performance of building control bodies and the safety of all buildings including identifying patterns of regulatory failure and making recommendations for improving standards. This will drive up continuous improvement in the performance of all buildings to ensure the safety of occupants.We are working with Home Office to ensure the new regime aligns with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, known as the Fire Safety Order (FSO), which covers fire safety in business or other non-domestic premises including where vulnerable people live and sleep. We will ensure that the two regimes work cohesively as the scope of the regulator expands.

Planning Permission: Appeals

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish all planning applications called in and recovered appeals by his Department in 2021 to date.

Christopher Pincher: The Government publishes called in decisions and recovered appeals on gov.uk, and they are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-applications-called-in-decisions-and-recovered-appeals#recovered-planning-appeals .

Building Safety Fund

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his Department's timeframe is for the outcome of each Building Safety Fund application.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the average time taken to approve applications to the Building Safety Fund.

Christopher Pincher: The rate at which applications to the Building Safety Fund are advanced will be dependent on the readiness of building owners to provide the required information. Following registration, MHCLG contacts building owners or the responsible person to ask for supporting evidence for their technical eligibility for the fund. This will include evidence of the height of the building and materials that are in place.  It is disappointing that almost 900 building owners – who are responsible for making sure their buildings are safe – have been unable to provide any of this basic information. We have engaged with registrants and industry bodies to understand the challenges they have in meeting our deadlines and criteria requirements. To address their concerns we have extended the deadlines for the fund to the end of June 2021, giving building owners more time to submit full applications but still reflecting the importance of these critical safety works.As of 5 March 2021, 978 decisions on the Building Safety Fund have been made on the basis of sufficient supporting information received. Of these, 624 registered buildings are proceeding with an application for full funding and 354 have been shown to be ineligible. An additional 349 registrations have been withdrawn by applicants. So far, the total amount allocated from the Building Safety Fund is £226.8 million. Further details can be found on the Building Safety Fund Registrations Statistics at: www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings#building-safety-fund-registration-statistics.  We are also providing expert construction consultation support to actively engage with those planning and undertaking remediation work under the Building Safety Fund to increase the pace of remediation. We expect all buildings with an existing application to be started on site by September 2021.

Housing: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has assessed the effect of housing quality on covid-19 infection rates.

Christopher Pincher: Throughout this pandemic, the Department has continually monitored emerging evidence to understand the effect of housing quality and overcrowded households on COVID-19 outcomes, and has carefully considered robust advice from medical advisers and the scientific community to ensure we are taking the right action at the right time.To support people to stay safe in their homes and self-isolate, we have published a range of guidance, including advice for those living in overcrowded and shared housing, and the responsibilities of landlords and tenants. Where vulnerable tenants are living in overcrowded accommodation, our guidance advises that local authorities may be able to use their enforcement powers to require a landlord to remedy a serious overcrowding hazard.Work is already underway to address overcrowding and improve housing quality standards, including a two-year review of the Housing, Health and Safety Rating system, which will prioritise work around overcrowding and other health related issues including indoor air quality.The review of the Decent Homes Standard announced in the Social Housing White Paper also represents the commitment we have made to drive up standards. We expect to publish the first part of the review considering the case for change in Autumn 2021.

Shared Ownership: Fire Prevention

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring Housing Associations to buy back properties with fire safety defects until such time as the defects are rectified to enable residents of shared ownership properties with fire safety defects to move home.

Christopher Pincher: Government guidance is clear that building safety is the responsibility of building owners including housing associations. We recognise that shared ownership leases and many other leasehold agreements will allow building owners to pass remediation costs on to leaseholders. That is why the Government has recently announced a globally unprecedented investment in building safety under which hundreds of thousands of leaseholders, including shared owners, will be protected from the cost of replacing unsafe cladding on their homes. The Government is providing over £5 billion of grant funding for the removal of unsafe cladding on buildings over 18m.  The Government is also establishing a generous finance scheme which will provide leaseholders in buildings of 11-18m, including buildings owned by Registered Providers, with access to finance for cladding remediation costs and a commitment that their monthly cladding repayment costs will not exceed £50 a month. We will be publishing more details on how these schemes will work.We have also introduced a new model for Shared Ownership which will include a 10 year period during which the landlord will support with the cost of repairs in new build homes. The changes will prevent new shared owners from being hit with unexpected repairs and maintenance bills and will help to bridge the gap between renting and homeownership.

Construction: Materials

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the UKCA mark and its application for construction products or other materials applies to rings constructed for wrestling or boxing; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Pincher: In order for the UKCA mark to be applied to a construction product, the product must meet the definition of a construction product as set out by the United Kingdom Construction Products Regulations, and be covered by either a United Kingdom designated standard or United Kingdom Technical Assessment.  Wrestling and boxing rings in themselves do not meet this definition of construction products, and are covered by neither a United Kingdom designated standard, nor a United Kingdom Technical Assessment, under the United Kingdom Construction Products Regulations. They therefore do not need to be UKCA-marked in order to be placed on the market of Great Britain.If the component parts of a wrestling or boxing ring have been marketed as individual products for use in construction, however, they will be subject to the same rules as construction products, which may include the requirement to apply the UKCA mark.

Fire Extinguishers: Research

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much Government funding has been provided for the development of new fire extinguishing technologies.

Christopher Pincher: My Department is not providing any Government funding for the development of new fire extinguishing technologies.

Care Homes: Older People

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what meetings he has had with representatives of the older people’s housing-with-care sector in the last six months.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to increase the supply of housing-with-care.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a cross-departmental task force on increasing the supply of housing-with-care.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking taking to increase the supply of housing-with-care for older people.

Christopher Pincher: The growth of this sector is important for meeting the needs of the ageing population and supporting our housing supply objectives. We are investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, where 10 per cent of delivery over the course of the programme will be used to increase the supply of much needed specialist or supported housing, including retirement housing. DHSC are also continuing to subsidise new supply of specialist housing for older and disabled people through the Care and Support Specialised Housing (CASSH) Fund.We are continuing to work closely with the sector and across Government to look at how we can further support its growth. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models including the proposals for a taskforce.Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk.

Local Government Finance

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of savings made by local authorities from their budgets in 2020-21.

Eddie Hughes: Since the start of the pandemic the Government has allocated over £8 billion directly to councils for their expenditure pressures. According to our monthly financial monitoring returns, estimated expenditure pressures for the financial year are £7.3 billion. The Chancellor announced at the Spending Review that local authorities will be provided with over £3 billion of additional support for COVID-19 in 2021-22, taking total COVID support to over £11 billion Core Spending Power increased from £46.2 billion in 2019-20 to £49 billion in 2020-21, a 6% increase in cash terms, and then to £51.3 billion in 2021-22, a 4.6% increase in cash terms. This recognises the resources councils need to meet their pressures, including foregone efficiency savings, and maintain current service levels.

Levelling Up Fund and UK Community Renewal Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times he has met with officials from (a) the Treasury and (b) his own Department to discuss the methodology for the allocation of funding under the (i) Levelling Up Fund and (ii) Community Renewal Fund.

Eddie Hughes: The prospectuses published at Budget for the Levelling Up Fund and Community Renewal Fund provide guidance for local areas on how to submit bids for funding for projects starting in 2021-22. This includes guidance on the process for submitting bids, the types of projects eligible for funding and how bids will be assessed.We have published the index and further details of the methodology used to calculate the index of places set out in the Levelling Up Fund prospectus: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-fund-additional-documents.A methodological note explaining how the 100 priority places were determined for the UK Community Renewal Fund has also been published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-community-renewal-fund-prospectus/uk-community-renewal-fund-prioritisation-of-places-methodology-note.

UK Community Renewal Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times he has met with representatives from local government to discuss the Community Renewal Fund.

Eddie Hughes: The UK Government is providing an additional £220 million funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund to help local areas prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022. The Fund aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches and will invest in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.Through this Fund, we will establish new ways of working between the UK Government and places across the UK. The UK Government will work more directly with local partners and communities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who are best placed to understand the needs of their local areas and more closely aligned to the local economic geographies to deliver quickly on the ground.The Government has been engaging with key stakeholders on the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund since 2016, including holding a series of engagement events.  Our engagement events have taken place across the UK. Over 500 stakeholders attended these events across a variety of sectors, including representatives from local government.We will continue to engage stakeholders as we consolidate policy development for UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Towns Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to ensure that (a) there are clear processes for managing conflicts of (i) actual and (ii) potential commercial interests the decision making of Town Deal Boards, (b) Town Deal Board governance standards are adhered to and (c) Town Deal Boards sign up to a code of conduct based on the Seven Principles of Public Life, as outlined in his Department's document entitled Towns Fund: further guidance, last updated on 12 October 2020.

Eddie Hughes: As set out in the Towns Fund further guidance, we expect the Town Deal Board to align with the governance standards and policies of the town’s Lead Council. There should be clear processes for managing conflicts of interests (commercial, actual and potential) in decision-making, which must apply to all involved with the work of the Town Deal Board. The governance and decision-making structures of the Town Deal Board should be made public by the Lead Council.The Lead Council should also provide guidance on the pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests individuals must declare, outline the process for declaring those interests and explain the process for requesting an exemption. This includes signing a code of conduct based on the Seven Nolan Principles.My officials have carried out governance reviews for all Town Deal Boards, making recommendations, where relevant, for improvements and monitoring implementation.

Antisemitism

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to statistics from the Community Security Trust that 2019 recorded the highest number of anti-Semitic hate crimes since 2007, what steps his Department is taking to reduce anti-Semitic hate crime.

Eddie Hughes: Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why we have taken a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms. We are providing £14 million this year, and provided over £65 million to date, for the Protective Security Grant to protect Jewish schools and community buildings.   In October 2019 the Communities Secretary wrote to universities and local authorities to urge them to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of Antisemitism and there has been significant uptake of the definition since. We have also appointed Lord Mann as the Independent Adviser on Antisemitism, who has been providing advice on the most effective methods of tackling antisemitism in communities.

Towns Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 34 of the Towns Fund Guidance, if he will publish for each Town Deal project (a) total spend, (b) forecast spend, (c) output metrics and (d) other reporting data which lead authorities are required to provide to the Government.

Eddie Hughes: I refer the hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 168945 on 18 March.

Levelling Up Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2021 to Question 165560, if he will publish the Accounting Officer's assessment of the Levelling Up Fund.

Eddie Hughes: I refer the Hon. Member to my previous Answer of 12 March 2021 to Question UIN 165560.

Cabinet Office

Elections: Proof of Identity

Cat Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2021 to Question 164520  what evidence voters will be asked to provide in order to verify their identity to local authorities when applying for their free local elector ID.

Julia Lopez: Local authorities will be responsible for issuing local elector identity documents. Further details will be set out in due course.We will continue to work with local authorities, the Electoral Commission, charities and civil society organisations to make sure that reforms, including the provision of a local elector identity document, are delivered in a way that is inclusive for all voters.

Voting Methods: Visual Impairment

Cat Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many local authorities are due to take part in his Department's pilot schemes of the audio voting device to make voting accessible for blind and partially sighted people.

Cat Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how the results of the Government's pilot schemes of the audio voting device to make voting accessible for blind and partially sighted people will be evaluated.

Julia Lopez: The Government is committed to ensuring elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote and has been working with the RNIB to improve the voting process for blind and partially sighted people. We are currently exploring ways in which the May elections could be used to advance this work, particularly recognising the pandemic context.

Government Departments: Ceramics

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to increase the opportunities for ceramic businesses to bid for government contracts.

Julia Lopez: The Government works very closely with the ceramics sector on a number of issues, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and following our exit from the European Union.Government departments spend a significant sum on public procurement, and we are aware of the vital role this will play in kick-starting the economy. We have launched a new social value model which helps to ensure that the Government's huge purchasing power is used to support communities and the local economy. Our Green Paper proposals set out long-planned changes to the public procurement rules which will cut red tape, reduce bureaucracy and help unleash wider social benefits from public money spent on procurement.

Civil Servants: Coronavirus

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to encourage civil servants to take-up their covid-19 vaccinations when eligible.

Julia Lopez: We are encouraging Civil Servants in the same way as we encourage all UK citizens to take up the offer of a vaccine. As a responsible employer, we continue to highlight the latest factual information on the vaccine and support employees in attending appointments for vaccinations.

10 Downing Street: Facilities

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a (a) detailed cost breakdown of the £2.6 million spent on the television studio in 9 Downing Street and (b) cost-benefit analysis of that spending.

Julia Lopez: (a)A breakdown of the figures given out in response to a Freedom of Information Act request on 06/01/2021 is as follows” -The Government is establishing facilities within 9 Downing Street which will be used for daily broadcasting by a number of news organisations. This will necessarily require one-off capital works, including audio-visual equipment, internet infrastructure, electrical works and lighting.This spending is in the public interest as the new broadcasting of lobby briefings will increase public accountability and transparency about the work of this Government now and in the future.Such spending on maintenance and technical facilities reflects that 9 Downing Street (the Privy Council Office) is a Grade 1 listed building.https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1267063All such listed buildings must be maintained to high heritage standards, reflecting the buildings’ important role in the cultural fabric of our nation.A breakdown of the costs which we hold are below.Media centre Ph1 fees£96,157.67 ex vatMedia centre Ph1 enabling works.£135,201.85 ex vatMedia centre Broadband equipment£33,394.63 ex vatLBC application£9,050.30 ex vatCore drill£1,456.06 ex vatEnabling order 2£285,788.29 ex vatMain works ph1£1,848,695.12 ex vatMedia Centre Ph1 Long Lead items£198,023.75Annual figures on expenditure on property, plant and equipment by the Cabinet Office can be found in the departmental annual report and accounts.(b)In assessing the business case for the spending (i.e. the costs and the benefits), it was noted that No 9 Downing Street is a Grade 1 listed building which has not been updated or modernised for over 50 years. Over half of the cost of this project provides for modernisation to a substantial part of the building in line with the Cabinet Office’s statutory duties to preserve and maintain it, through making the roof sound, strengthening the floor, new heating and cooling, and electrical wiring replacement. The space being converted was idle and dilapidated and this project maximises the capability of the building. It was also deemed necessary to the success of the project to bring in technical expertise from specialist contractors.

Government Departments: Termination of Employment

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Government has spent on settling legal disputes, including legal costs, with former employees and civil servants since 2019.

Julia Lopez: This information is not held centrally.

UK-EU Partnership Council: Committees

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many of the specialised committees and sub-committees established under the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement have (a) held meetings and (b) organised meetings for 2021.

Penny Mordaunt: The dates of the first meetings of the committees established under the UK - EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement have not yet been agreed with the EU. We are carefully considering the establishment of these committees, including the UK chairs and delegations, so that they can begin their formal business after ratification has been completed.

Scottish Government: Permanent Secretaries

Dr Liam Fox: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, who the line manager is of the Scottish Government's Permanent Secretary.

Julia Lopez: Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, line manages the permanent secretaries of the Devolved Administrations, including Leslie Evans as Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government.

Treasury

Grensill: Coronavirus

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings (a) he or (b) Ministers in his Department had with (i) Greensill Capital or (ii) representatives of Greensill to discuss access to covid-19 support schemes in 2020.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will publish the dates of the five most recent occasions any Minister in his Department met with (a) Greensill Capital or (b) representatives of Greensill Capital.

John Glen: Ministers routinely meet with a range of private sector stakeholders. Transparency releases are published on a quarterly basis, and are currently publicly available for Ministerial meetings up to and including September 2020, which is in line with normal reporting timelines on disclosures.

FACTI Panel

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report of the UN High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity for Achieving the 2030 Agenda (the FACTI panel), what steps he is taking to ensure that the (a) panel meets (i) nationally and (ii) across the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and (b) recommendations of that panel to tackle illicit finance including international tax abuse are implemented.

John Glen: The UK welcomes and supports efforts to enhance financial accountability, transparency and integrity and notes the recommendations within the FACTI Panel’s report. In relation to illicit finance, the UK shares many of the concerns related to the negative impact of illicit finance, both in its impact on the volume of funds available for development, and the significant costs that the illicit activities related to the financial flows place on society. The UK recognises the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as the international standard setter on anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing. The FATF found that the UK has one of the strongest systems in the world for combatting illicit finance. In relation to international tax abuse, the UK has long been a standard-setter and early adopter of OECD international tax standards. This includes international commitments on tax transparency aimed at tackling tax avoidance and evasion, offshore financial centres, and money laundering. The UK will continue to advance international cooperation and develop international standards on tax through the OECD as the primary standard-setting body on global tax matters. The Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies have full control over their own fiscal matters. They have the right to set their own policy to support their economies, within international standards and determine their own tax rates. All Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories with a financial centre have made commitments to implementing global OECD standards on tax transparency and have agreed to introduce publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership.

Aviation: Finance

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funding has been allocated to the Airspace Modernisation programme in response to Budget 2021.

Kemi Badenoch: The UK’s airspace is an essential part of our national transport infrastructure. The Government is therefore committed to modernising UK airspace, in order to deliver quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys and more capacity for the benefit of those who use and are affected by UK airspace. The Government has recently announced that it will be providing up to £5.5m to support airspace modernisation over 20-21 and 21-22, to ensure that this work continues, despite the challenges that Covid-19 has presented for the aviation sector.

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reintroducing the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, once hospitality businesses are allowed to reopen.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government understands this is a challenging time for the UK’s hospitality sector. The best way the Government can support businesses in the hospitality sector, is by reopening businesses that are closed when it is safe to do so. However, the Government will continue to monitor developments, engage with the sector and keep under review the case for further interventions to support business growth and employment in the sector.

Infrastructure: Coventry

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to ensure infrastructure spending in Coventry will support local employment and training.

Kemi Badenoch: The National Infrastructure Strategy sets out our approach to investing in local areas throughout the UK, including with £100bn of capital investment in 21/22. In Coventry, this includes for example, upgrading the A46 Coventry Junctions, a share of the £4.2bn intra-city transport settlements from 2022/23, and investment from the Future High Streets Fund. Coventry will also be able to apply to the new £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life, and £1.5 billion of capital funding to bring the entire FE college estates up to a good condition, as well as £180m of additional capital funding on skills to build FE college places to manage post-16 demographic growth.

Higher Education

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's transparency data on HMT Ministers' meetings, published on 29 October 2020, if he will publish the names of the academics he met on (a) 4 May 2020, (b) 23 May 2020 and (c) 1 June 2020.

Kemi Badenoch: The Treasury is not providing details of the individuals listed in the HMT transparency return of 29 October 2020, due to UK GDPR considerations.

English Language: Education

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the business rates holiday to English language teaching centres.

Jesse Norman: The Government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors through business rates relief given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance on eligibility for the relief, which is targeted at premises that are wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; for assembly and leisure; or as hotels, guest and boarding premises, and self-catering accommodation. A range of other measures have been made available for all businesses, including English language schools, such as the extension of the furlough scheme, extension to VAT cuts, Recovery Loan schemes, and enhanced Time to Pay for taxes.

Personal Care Services: VAT

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of temporarily reducing VAT to 5 per cent for businesses in the hairdressing and beauty industry.

Jesse Norman: The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July 2020 to support the cash flow and viability of about 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors.This relief comes at a significant cost to the Exchequer, and there are no plans to extend the scope of the reduced rate. This policy will cost over £7 billion.The Government has made available a wider package of support worth billions which includes extensions to the furlough scheme; extensions to the COVID-19 loan schemes; grant support; a business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure business properties; mortgage holidays; enhanced Time to Pay for taxes; and VAT deferrals.

Equipment: Capital Allowances

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will publish guidance on which plant and machinery is eligible for the super deduction capital allowances announced in Budget 2021, including any lists of eligible assets that have been prepared by his Department.

Jesse Norman: Most tangible capital assets used in the course of a business are considered plant and machinery. HMRC publish more detail in the capital allowances manual, available at: https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/capital-allowances-manual.

Clothing: VAT Zero Rating

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of children aged (a) 13, (b) 12, (c) 11 and (d) 10 whose measurements for clothing exceed the maximum to qualify for that clothing to be zero rated for VAT; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of categorising all school uniform as zero rated for VAT: and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Estimates of the number of children with the measurements requested are not available. The UK is one of only two countries within the OECD to maintain a zero rate for children’s clothing, which costs £2 billion per year. Expanding this to include all school uniforms would come at a cost to the Exchequer, and would require reductions in spending or tax rises elsewhere. The Government has no plans to review the VAT treatment of children’s clothing.

Boats: UK Trade with EU

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing VAT relief for the importation of small British flagged boats into the UK, from the EU, by operators who are unable to use their boats commercially within the EU as a result of maritime technical changes that came into force at the end of the transition period.

Jesse Norman: Relief from import VAT and any customs duty is available under the Returned Goods Relief (RGR) for goods transported or exported from the UK and re-imported within certain time limits in an unaltered state. Subject to meeting the conditions of the relief, RGR will be available to boats returning from the EU to the UK regardless of whether they were used commercially or not. In order to obtain relief from import VAT under the RGR rules, the original exporter and the importer need to be the same person. More information on UK RGR can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-less-import-duty-and-vat-when-re-importing-goods-to-the-uk-and-eu.

Corporation Tax

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the level of outstanding refunds of corporation tax is at 16 March 2021; and what assessment he has made of the performance of HMRC against its target timetable for making such repayments.

Jesse Norman: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Like other service organisations, HMRC have been affected by the pandemic and are doing all they can to offer the best possible service to their customers, whether supporting them with their taxes or delivering the Government’s support schemes. HMRC are sorry for delays and will continue to prioritise Corporation Tax repayments, ensuring taxpayers receive moneys due as quickly as possible during this exceptional time.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many additional FTE staff HMRC plans to recruit or transfer internally to deal with taxation, duty, excise and customs issues pertaining solely to freeports, in the financial year (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23.

Jesse Norman: Work is in progress to develop the HMRC operational processes required to support the introduction of freeports. Once completed, this work will inform HMRC recruitment and resourcing requirements.

Free Zones: Tax Avoidance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2021 to Question 164436 on Free Zones: National Insurance Contributions, when he plans to publish the draft legislation on anti-tax avoidance provisions in freeports.

Jesse Norman: The Government will publish legislation in due course and will ensure sufficient time for full Parliamentary scrutiny and approval. The exact timing is subject to Parliamentary process and approval.

Tax Allowances

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of non-structural tax reliefs in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20; and if he will place a copy of those estimates in the Library.

Jesse Norman: Information on the costs of reliefs is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs. These statistics, published annually by HMRC, contain estimates of the costs of non-structural tax reliefs. The estimates reflect the total amount by which users benefit from each relief and not the gain to the Exchequer should the relief be removed. Some reliefs are uncosted, usually due to data limitations.

Young People: Coronavirus

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak on 16-25 year olds in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Jesse Norman: The Government continues to monitor and publish trends in households’ circumstances across the UK. The Household Below Average Income (HBAI) publication looks at household incomes in the UK, but the latest available figures only cover up to the financial year 2018/19 and so do not measure the time period in which COVID-19 has had an impact. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also produce estimates of household income and household financial net wealth for the whole of the UK. While the latest data published is not broken down by age and region, it indicates that for the UK as a whole real household disposable in 2020 Q3 was 1.9% higher than the same quarter in 2019. Household financial net wealth as a proportion of income was 366% in 2020 Q3, up from 342% in Q4 2019. Throughout the pandemic, the Government has sought to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods across the UK, including in Coventry North East constituency, Coventry, the West Midlands and England and across all ages, including the young. This includes unprecedented measures such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). The table below sets out the latest provisional HMRC statistics on the use of the CJRS:  Number of employments furloughed (as at 31 January 2021)Coventry North East7,300Coventry20,200West Midlands366,400England3,769,700Under 25 year-olds (across all of UK)855,200 The table below sets out the latest figures on the use of the SEISS:  Number of SEISS 1 claims made up to 31 July 2020 (16-24 year olds)Number of SEISS 2 claims made up to 31 October 2020 (16-24 year-olds)Number of SEISS 3 claims made up to 31 January 2021 (16-24 year-olds)West Midlands7,0006,4005,900England79,60073,30068,400 In order to illustrate the challenges faced by households during COVID-19, and how Government interventions have supported households of different income levels, HM Treasury published distributional analysis alongside Budget 2021 showing estimates of the change in household net incomes between February and November 2020. This can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/966207/DA_Document_Budget_2021.pdf.

Public Sector: Equality

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to meet his obligation under the Public Sector Equality Duty to have due regard to the effect of 2021 Budget on equality; and whether he plans to publish an equality impact assessment of the 2021 Budget.

Steve Barclay: The measures at Budget 2021, such as the continuation of the measures to respond to the impact of COVID-19, will support many people across society and promote this government’s belief in fairness. The Treasury carefully considers the impact of its decisions on those sharing protected characteristics, including at Budgets and other fiscal events, in line with both its legal obligations and with its strong commitment to promoting fairness. At Budget 2021, Ministers have paid such due regard to the equalities implications of their decisions and these decisions have been announced to Parliament. In interests of transparency we publish impacts in summary form for tax measures in tax information and impact notes (TIINs) alongside Finance Acts.

Public Expenditure

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy to maintain the planned (a) NHS, (b) Department for Work and Pensions and (c) Scottish Government allocations in real terms over the OBR forecast periods irrespective of inflation levels.

Steve Barclay: As set out at Budget 2021, the government has maintained the Budget 2020 assumption of 2.1% real terms increases per year for core resource DEL spending after 2021-22, reflecting the latest OBR deflators. For capital DEL spending, the government has maintained the Budget 2020 assumption consistent with delivering over £600 billion in gross public sector investment over the next five years, the highest sustained levels of public sector net investment (PSNI) as a proportion of GDP since the late 1970s. Specific allocations beyond 2021-22 are a matter for the Spending Review later this year, where the government will set future departmental resource DEL and capital DEL budgets as well as devolved administrations’ block grants. However, the government has already committed to a historic long-term settlement for the NHS with a cash increase of £33.9 billion a year by 2023-24. Further details on the Spending Review will be set out in due course.

Free Zones

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to (a) conduct and (b) publish a review of the criteria and process used to select the freeports he designated on 3 March 2021.

Steve Barclay: At Budget, the Chancellor announced 8 Freeports from 8 regions of England, as selected by the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government. The Freeports Bidding Prospectus set out a fair, open and transparent assessment process to select Freeport locations in England, informed by relevant experts across government to ensure objective and robust assessment. The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government published a note on 17 March, which set out the decision-making process for determining Freeport locations.

Public Expenditure: Coronavirus

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the current size of the unallocated Covid-19 reserve is for 2021-22.

Steve Barclay: At Budget 2021 the Chancellor announced £18.8bn of funding is available from the COVID-19 reserve in 2021-22. Treasury officials continue to work with departments to establish COVID-19 funding need as part of the Mains Estimates process, which will be published in the coming months.

Free Zones

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2021 to Question 164429 on Free zones, whether he is able to give a date for publication of the rationale for his decisions; and for what reason it has not been possible to publish that information to date.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any changes were made by the Government to either (a) the criteria used to judge bids for freeport status or (b) the relative weighting of that criteria, between the publication of the bidding prospectus on 16 November 2020 and 12 noon on 5 February 2021.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any changes were made by the Government to either (a) the criteria used to judge bids for freeport status or (b) the relative weighting of that criteria, between 12 noon on 5 February 2021 and his Financial Statement on 3 March 2021.

Steve Barclay: The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government published a note on 17 March, which set out the decision-making process for determining Freeport locations.

Free Zones: Tax Allowances

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimates his Department has made of the total annual cost of tax reliefs granted to the freeports announced in Budget 2021; and if he will place a copy of those estimates in the Library.

Steve Barclay: Due to the site-specific nature of reliefs, it is not appropriate to comment on estimates at this stage. The total annual cost of tax reliefs will depend on the exact location and size of the Freeport tax sites. We will consider these costs when agreeing tax sites, and they will therefore be scored at a future fiscal event. The estimated costs will undergo the usual scrutiny from the OBR.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

English Language: Education

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of including the English language teaching sector in current and future covid-19 related support measures targeted at the tourism, leisure and hospitality industries.

Nigel Huddleston: English Language Schools have been, and are, able to benefit from a wide variety of Government support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has been extended until September, a variety of generous Government backed loan schemes and grants through the Additional Restrictions Grant scheme. Although funding issued under the Additional Restrictions Grant scheme is ultimately issued at the discretion of Local Authorities, we encourage and expect them to be sympathetic to applications from English Language Schools, as well as other businesses in the tourism supply chain which have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions.

Arts and Sports: Children and Young People

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support his Department has allocated to providers of (a) arts and (b) sports training for children and young people during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: Government recognises the significant impact of Covid-19 on young people, particularly the most vulnerable, and on the youth services that support them. A £16.5m Youth Covid-19 Support Fund has been announced which will protect the immediate future of grassroots and national youth organisations across the country. The funding will be allocated from the Government’s unprecedented £750 million package of support which is benefiting tens of thousands of frontline charities, so they can continue their vital work. More than £60 million of this package has already been provided to organisations working with vulnerable children and young people. In addition, we have allocated over £800m from the Culture Recovery Fund to almost 3,800 cultural organisations and sites in England, including organisations that focus on arts provision for children and young people. The Youth Investment Fund remains a manifesto commitment for transformative levelling up across the country over the course of the parliament. In the recent announced Spending Review £30m of this was committed as capital investment for 2021-22. This will provide a transformational investment in new and refurbished safe spaces for young people, so they can access support youth workers, and positive activities out of school, including sport and culture. Further details of the timetable for allocation will be announced in due course.Separately, Sport England have invested £194m into children and young people since 2016, including £40M over four years for the Families Fund; £11M each year on School Games, supported by a further £7M from DHSC; £34M over four years to the Satellite Club program; and £13.5M over four years on Teacher training.

Internet: Epilepsy

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on malicious online content intended to trigger photosensitive epilepsy.

Caroline Dinenage: We are protecting epilepsy sufferers from malicious content online through the online harms regulatory framework and a review of criminal law. As part of the online harms regulatory framework, companies will need to have robust systems and processes in place to tackle illegal content on their services. This includes tackling illegal online abuse which provokes epilepsy seizures. Companies who offer high-risk, high-reach services will also need to take action with regard to legal but harmful content. The Online Safety Bill, which will give effect to the regulatory framework, will be ready this year.The Government has sponsored a Law Commission review of harmful online communications, which is considering whether current law needs updating to account for online abuses, including abuse targeted at epilepsy sufferers. The Law Commission has consulted on provisional reforms and will issue final recommendations later this year, which we will carefully consider.

Football Banning Orders

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will list all the Football Banning Orders that are in operation by (a) football club, (b) time served and (c) offence committed.

Nigel Huddleston: The Home Office is the lead department for Football Banning Orders and has published football-related arrests and banning orders statistics, in England and Wales, for the 2019/20 season on gov.uk.

Social Media: Harassment

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to tackle racist and misogynistic abuse in newspaper comment sections.

Mr John Whittingdale: The government is committed to a free and independent press, and does not intervene in what the press can and cannot publish. We are clear, however, that with this freedom, comes responsibility, which media organisations must take seriously. It is important that there exists an independent self regulatory regime to ensure that the press adheres to a wide set of clear and appropriate standards, and to offer individuals a means of redress where these are not met.The majority of traditional publishers—including 95% of national newspapers by circulation—are members of The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). A small number of publishers have joined The Independent Monitor for the Press (IMPRESS). These regulators issue codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas including discrimination, and set out the rules that members have agreed to follow.Complaints about comments on news websites can be directed to the publication itself, or to the appropriate self-regulator.

Electronic Cigarettes: Advertising

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on reducing levels of smoking of improving public perception of e-cigarettes and vape products, including allowing manufactures, retailers and brands of e-cigarette products to communicate comparative health claims and switching messages that are agreed by the relevant public health bodies to adult smokers.

Caroline Dinenage: E-cigarettes in the UK are tightly regulated by the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR) and the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015 (NIP). These regulations aim to reduce the risk of harm to children; to protect against any risk of renormalisation of tobacco use; and to provide assurance on relative safety for users. The regulations include restrictions on mainstream TV and radio advertising; prevent sale to under 18s; and limit both tank sizes and nicotine content.My department works closely with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who facilitate the self-regulation of the UK advertising sector through the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code) and The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code). The ASA has a clear framework for advertisers to follow in relation to what is and is not allowed when making health claims about vapes or e-cigarettes.It would appear that the key consideration for advertisers is whether their marketing communications do anything further than provide basic, factual information about the products. Any content that appears to make the product seem more attractive is likely to be regarded as promotional and therefore likely to be ruled against by the ASA and removed.More information about the ASA’s approach can be viewed here: https://www.asa.org.uk/asset/97E623E4-3A64-4215-81A5C4BD6D82D1E0.A1727AC1-C340-4B08-9820666C89AE18CB/

Events Industry: Coronavirus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's engagement with the live events supply chain businesses during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The government recognises the challenges faced by the arts and creative sector during the pandemic and has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses that are required to close, or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. Supply chain organisations are recognised as a critical part of our sectors and were eligible to apply for the Culture Recovery Fund.The discretionary Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) forms part of a wider package of support for businesses that have been mandated to close and also had their trade adversely affected by the Covid-19 Restrictions. The guidance for ARG funding encourages Local Authorities to develop discretionary grant schemes to help those businesses which - while not legally forced to close - are nonetheless severely impacted by the restrictions put in place to control the spread of Covid-19.This could include - for example - businesses which supply the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors, or businesses in the events sector. The guidance specifically refers to the live events sector.We continue to engage with stakeholders, including through the Tourism Industry Council, and industry representatives, including the Chair of the Events Industry Board and the Events and Entertainment working group, to monitor the situation facing the sector.

Performing Arts: EU Countries

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department's working group has made on EU touring productions.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on UK productions touring in the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The UK’s creative industries are the finest in the world and this government is determined to support them. Touring is a vital part of musicians and performers’ careers, providing not only a vital income stream, but also enriching opportunities for cultural exchange across the world.Being outside the European Union does not change this. It does, however, mean practical changes on both sides of the Channel that will require understanding and adaptation.DCMS has established a working group with other key government departments, the devolved administrations, and over fifteen representatives from across the creative and cultural industries. The working group is seeking to build evidence on the impact leaving the EU has had on touring, to clarify the steps creative and cultural practitioners will need to take to tour in the EU, and identify ways to support those practitioners in touring confidently. We will set out next steps in due course.We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through a new working group, to help address these issues so that touring in Europe can resume with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.

Events Industry: Coronavirus

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what factors the Events Research Programme will consider in producing a roadmap for the reopening of the events industry; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the Events Research Programme is expected to publish its roadmap for the reopening of the events industry; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who is the membership of the Events Research Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The Events Research Programme (ERP), under the guidance of Chief Advisors Nicholas Hytner and Davd Ross, is aimed at providing key scientific data on how small and large-scale events could be permitted to safely reopen in line with the Prime Minister's roadmap out of lockdown. The Chief Advisers will oversee the programme, reporting into the Prime Minister and will co-chair a small, advisory Senior Steering Board. There will also be a Joint Programme Board working across government to inform policy development and a Science Board to provide scientific assurance across the programme. Pilots, due to start in April, will investigate how a combination of testing and non-pharmaceutical interventions can be employed to allow venues to open safely. It is anticipated that findings will be reported to the Prime Minister at the end of May, to feed into wider discussions around Step 4 of the lockdown restrictions.

Gambling: Regulation

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with the Gambling Commission on the regulation of the naming of gambling products in response to the suspension of Football Index's licence.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Gambling Commission has suspended the licence of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of Football Index, while it carries out an investigation. I have met the Commission to discuss the situation.Regarding rules on the naming of gambling products, the Commission requires operators to act in a way that meets the licensing objectives to be fair and open. They are also required to present their products in a way that is compliant with Advertising Standards Authority rules regarding advertising and marketing. Where the ASA determines an operator has presented its products in a way that is in breach of these rules, the Commission can also consider whether further regulatory action is required as a result.

Swimming: Coronavirus

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment was completed by the Government, in advance of the publication of the Government’s roadmap for easing covid-19 restrictions, for determining that (a) swimming pools could re-open on 12 April 2021 and (b) over 18’s competitive swimming clubs cannot restart until 17 May 2021 at the earliest.

Nigel Huddleston: Sports and physical activity providers and facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. That’s why we have continued to make sure that people can exercise throughout the national restrictions, and why we have ensured that grassroots and children’s sport is front of the queue when easing those restrictions. On Monday 22 February, the Prime Minister announced a roadmap out of the current lockdown in England. The roadmap outlines four steps for easing restrictions. There will be a minimum of five weeks between each step: four weeks for the data to reflect changes in restrictions; followed by seven days’ notice of the restrictions to be eased. The Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser have made clear that this will give adequate time to assess the impact of each step and reduce the risk of having to re-impose restrictions at a later date. Step 2 will take place no earlier than 12 April and as part of this indoor sports facilities including gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools will reopen for individual usage. At Step 3, no earlier than 17 May, indoor group activities including swimming clubs can resume.

Football: Racial Discrimination

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he last requested a report from the football authorities on the steps they are taking to eradicate racism from the game.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent reports he has received from the football authorities on the steps they were taking to eradicate racial abuse from the game.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government continues to liaise closely and regularly with all the football authorities about their work to tackle discrimination. This includes actions targeted at and around football grounds, such as improving reporting systems, providing better training and support for referees and stewards, and improving the quality of CCTV around stadia. We also welcomed the launch of The FA’s ‘Football Leadership Diversity Code’ last year which is a step in the right direction to ensure English football better represents our modern and diverse society, on and off the pitch. In January, the Government convened a roundtable with footballers, alongside the Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board and the Professional Footballers’ Association, to discuss social media abuse and the upcoming Online Safety Bill. However, there is still progress to be made and the Government will continue to press the football authorities to build on their work to date to tackle discrimination.

Mark Roberts

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he last had discussions with  Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts on football matters.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he was made aware that Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts wrote in January 2021 to the (a) Premier League and (b) English Football League requesting that they work together to tackle racist abuse against players; and will he make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: The department is in regular contact with the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Football Lead, and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) across a range of issues including tackling discrimination. I understand the Premier League and English Football League also meet frequently with the UKFPU, including recently with social media companies to focus on tackling online abuse, and hope they will continue to do so as we work together to rid this abhorrent behaviour from the game and society.

Sports: Voluntary Work

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department taking to encourage volunteers in engaging with local sports clubs.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government recognises the value of sport volunteering both to the sports that benefit and the volunteers themselves, and our sport and physical activity strategy, 'Sporting Future', emphasises the importance of volunteering. Volunteering is a focus for Sport England’s new ten year strategy “Uniting the Movement”, published in January 2021. Their ambition is to place an emphasis on diversity, inclusion, skills and behaviours across the sporting workforce, to help open up and increase volunteering opportunities for people from a broader range of backgrounds and experiences. Since 2016, Sport England has invested more than £5m of National Lottery funding in programmes to promote quality volunteering experiences and increase the diversity of volunteers who help to keep the nation active. Sport England supports local sports clubs to encourage and support volunteers through Club Matters. Club Matters provides free, convenient, practical resources to help organisations to develop, grow and become more sustainable and successful.Sport England also works with stakeholders to look at the support and experience for volunteers within the sporting sector, focusing on what’s needed to make giving their time easy, meaningful and supported, and in doing so, reducing drop-out rates.

Tourism: Coronavirus

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to amend the Tourism Sector Deal as a result of the Government announcing the covid-19 recovery strategy.

Nigel Huddleston: The UK Government will publish a Tourism Recovery Plan in the Spring. Given the significant impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector, we now face different challenges to when the Tourism Sector Deal was published. The Recovery Plan will build on the foundations of the Sector Deal.

Children's Play: Facilities

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether indoor play centres and other children’s activities in venues for that purpose can commence from 12 April 2021 as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Nigel Huddleston: The ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’ published 22 February advises that indoor entertainment and visitor attractions can resume at Step 3, which will commence no earlier than 17 May. This includes indoor play centres. The timings outlined in the roadmap are indicative, and the Government will be led by data, rather than fixed dates. Before taking each step, the Government will review the latest data and will only ease restrictions further if it is safe to do so. The indicative, ‘no earlier than’ dates in the roadmap are all contingent on the data and subject to change. Each full step of the roadmap will be informed by the latest available science and data and will be five weeks apart in order to provide time to assess the data and provide one week’s notice to businesses and individuals.

Prime Minister

Members: Correspondence

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2021 to Question 160582, when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull North, of 25 February 2021 and 11 March 2021, on changes in the level of funding for Transport for the North.

Boris Johnson: A reply has been sent.

COP26

Energy Supply

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the President of COP26, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the five countries that produce the highest levels of non-renewable energy sources on preparations for COP26.

Alok Sharma: COP26 is a top priority for the Government and we are engaging with all countries ahead of the summit, through Ministerial and senior official engagement alongside our extensive diplomatic network.As COP President-Designate, I have engaged with governments of over 50 countries to date both virtually and physically. This includes engagement with representatives from some of the largest producers of hydrocarbon energy, including the US, China, Canada and Saudi Arabia. I am also engaging a range of countries through the COP26 Energy Transition Council that the UK government has established in response to the global challenge of accelerating the transition from coal to clean power.

Climate Change: Local Government

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the President of COP26, what discussions he has had with local authorities in (a) West Yorkshire and (b) England in the run up to COP26.

Alok Sharma: I have set up the UK Mayors and Regions Advisory Council with mayors and local leaders from across the UK. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is a member along with mayors and local authority leaders from across the UK and the chair of the Local Government Association. We met most recently on 15 March to discuss how mayors and local authorities could contribute to the Together for our Planet Campaign, and I look forward to engaging further with the group in the run up to COP26.

Methane

Alan Brown: To ask the President of COP26, what plans he has to promote at COP26 (a) recycling of organic wastes and (b) other solutions to help tackle methane emissions.

Alok Sharma: We are tackling methane emissions domestically through supporting the agriculture sector to reduce its emissions further through the Agricultural Transition Plan. Through our COP26 Nature campaign, we are encouraging a global shift towards sustainable agriculture.In the Resources and Waste Strategy, published in December 2018, we have committed to exploring policies to work towards eliminating all biodegradable waste to landfill by 2030.

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing forward mandatory gender pay reporting for companies from April 2021 onwards.

Kemi Badenoch: On 23 February, the Equality and Human Rights Commission announced that employers will have an additional six months, until 5 October 2021, to report their gender pay gap information.Employers can continue to report their gender pay gap information via the government website: https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk/.The Government is fully committed to women’s economic empowerment but, given the impact on the pandemic on businesses, extending the period employers have to report by six months is the correct decision.